Two Dallas Cowboys players are recovering from offseason shoulder surgery ahead of their second season.
Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy told reporters Tuesday that defensive tackle Mazi Smith and tight end Luke Schoonmaker each underwent shoulder procedures. Both are expected back for the start of training camp.
Per Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News, McCarthy said Smith had his operation shortly after the 2023 season concluded. He has a recovery timetable of four to six months.
Schoonmaker is expected to be “all systems go” this summer despite undergoing his surgery more recently.
Dallas drafted Smith with the No. 26 pick out of Michigan last year. He tallied 13 tackles, three quarterback hits, and a sack in 17 games.
The 22-year-old could vie for more playing time after participating in 28 percent of the defense’s snaps last season. McCarthy said the team will work with Smith to put back some weight lost during the offseason.
“I’m looking for Mazi to take that step, no bones about it,” McCarthy said, via team reporter Nick Harris. “Now, if you just look at the dynamics of the room – and obviously, we’ll continue to add to that room – he’s going to have a lot more opportunity in front of him.”
The Cowboys kept their sights on Ann Arbor when making Schoonmaker the No. 58 pick. A plantar fascia issue disrupted his first summer with the team.
Behind Jake Ferguson on the depth chart, Schoonmaker caught eight of just 15 targets for 65 yards and two touchdowns. He got stopped inches short of the end zone on a pivotal fourth down in a Week 9 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.