Cowboys’ Left Tackle “Competition” Ends in One Practice — Then Schottenheimer Muddies It Again
It took one padded practice. That’s all it took for the Dallas Cowboys’ left tackle “competition” to effectively end, before most fans even had a chance to debate it.
Head coach Brian Schottenheimer told reporters Tuesday that Tyler Guyton would remain the team’s starting left tackle over challenger Nate Thomas. According to NFL.com, Schottenheimer said, “We’re gonna keep him at starting left tackle right now. We talked to Nate. Nate needs to show us a little bit more consistent play to push for that.”
The decision came fast, but the writing had been on the wall for a while. Guyton had taken the bulk of first-team reps dating back through OTAs and minicamp. The Athletic’s Jon Machota had already called him the “clear favorite” weeks earlier, per SI.com.
Then the Coach Walked It Back
Except it isn’t quite that simple. A day after naming Guyton the starter, Schottenheimer clarified he hadn’t actually closed the book on the job. Dallas Morning News insider RJ Ochoa reported that Schottenheimer told a Dallas-area reporter he never said Guyton was “officially” the starter — only that Thomas needs to play better to earn first-team reps in practice, per SI.com.
Schottenheimer posted on X: “I really like what I see from Tyler right now” — https://x.com/rjochoa
That’s a meaningfully softer statement than “Guyton has won the job,” and it matters. Reading the two comments together — the Tuesday announcement and the Wednesday clarification — the actual picture is a coach who wants to keep some pressure on Guyton without officially slamming the door on Thomas. It’s not really a live competition anymore. It’s closer to public motivation dressed up as one.
Why Thomas Never Really Had a Shot
The tape backs up the coaching staff’s decision. Thomas started four games in relief of an injured Guyton last season, and the results were rough. He posted a Pro Football Focus grade of 31.6 in pass protection — dead last among qualifying offensive tackles — and gave up three sacks and 23 pressures across 342 snaps, according to SI.com.
Guyton, meanwhile, has the higher ceiling and the draft pedigree — a 2024 first-rounder who moved from right tackle at Oklahoma to protect Dak Prescott’s blind side. His problem has never been talent. It’s been availability. A training camp knee injury cost him four to six weeks last year, and he finished the 2025 season on injured reserve with a high ankle sprain.
That history is exactly why the Cowboys floated a “competition” in the first place, even with the outcome all but decided. Telling a talented but inconsistent young lineman his job isn’t guaranteed costs a coaching staff nothing and, if it works, sharpens his focus heading into a contract year that matters for both his development and the offensive line’s stability around All-Pro guard Tyler Smith.
What’s Next
Guyton will keep taking the bulk of first-team reps as Dallas continues camp, with joint practices against the Rams still to come. If he stays healthy — the actual question mark on his résumé, not his talent — the left tackle spot is his. If he gets hurt again, Thomas is the direct backup plan, though beat reporters have noted rookie Drew Shelton hasn’t done enough this summer to be considered the next man up ahead of Thomas.
The stakes go beyond one position. Dallas’s offensive line was one of the better units in football last season and helped Prescott turn in what looked like an MVP-caliber year despite the team missing the playoffs. The defense was the bigger problem in 2025, and Dallas addressed that this offseason by using one of its two first-round picks on Caleb Downs. None of that fixes anything if the line in front of Prescott takes a step back — which is exactly why a left tackle battle that lasted one practice still matters heading into the Cowboys’ September 13 opener.
