Report: Tyron Smith's initial exam by Dallas shows no damage to ACL

In a bit of good news for the Dallas Cowboys, the initial exam of Tyron Smith‘s knee injury revealed no damage to his ACL. Smith went down on the practice field with a non-contact injury to his knee, leading the team and fans to wonder if he had suffered any major damage to it on the play.

Smith’s initial results are positive, according to a Wednesday night report, but the team will follow up with further examinations tomorrow.

Tyron Smith’s initial knee exam

“Source indicates Tyron Smith’s ACL is intact after initial review. More reviews coming in the morning. Perhaps the Cowboys have had some good luck,” explained ESPN’s Todd Archer.

The news is a sigh of relief for Smith and the team after the injury scare left him laying on the practice field immediately following the play. Although Smith walked off the field and away from the practice facility under his own power, the concern remained that he had done internal damage possibly. Now, it appears more likely that the injury was caused by a possible hyperextension of his knee — something with a far quicker recovery time than tendon damage.

Alongside a video of the play where Smith suffered his injury, Dallas Morning News‘ Michael Gehlken shared that another high-profile Cowboys player suffered a hyperextended knee when Jayron Kearse did it earlier this month. Kearse suffered his injury on Aug. 1, but returned quickly to practice. Smith’s injury could have a similar diagnosis, but further examination will take place to determine the extent of his injury.

Smith has been one of the biggest and best stars of the Dallas offensive line, and any injury this late in preseason is cause for concern as the regular season nears. The former All-Pro and eight-time Pro Bowler was named to the NFL’s 2010’s All-Decade Team.