FRISCO, Texas — To say Tyler Guyton is progressing well feels, at this point, like quite the understatement. Having suffered a bone fracture in his knee in Oxnard, and dodging a season-ending injury in the process, the former first-round pick is already leveling up his physical participation.
When the Cowboys underwent practice on Monday, as they turned the page toward preparing for the regular season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles, Guyton was in a helmet and shells for the first time since suffering the injury on July 28.
He's not yet doing full team drills but, less than 30 days after leaving practice in Oxnard, he's moving well and trending toward a possible return on Sept. 4.
"I did individual [drills], and I'm feeling blessed," Guyton said. "I'm just happy to be back out there."
He wisely stopped short of declaring himself ready for Week 1, though.
"We're gonna keep monitoring it, but I'm gonna leave it up to the training stuff," he said.
A lot is riding on the ability of Guyton to take a huge leap forward over his rookie season, and his offseason trajectory was aimed in the right direction prior to his knee being rolled up on in Southern California. Having revamped his entire diet and training regimen, also being mentored by future Hall of Fame left tackle Tyron Smith this spring and summer, the 24-year-old will do his best to hit the ground running whenever he's cleared to return.
To aid in that mission, Guyton has been on the sideline of every single practice talking with coaches and players, and going through mental reps in team drills, also mirroring the movements he'd make if he were on the field with his teammates.
It goes to the understanding of the importance of his value and role in an offense that needs to get off to a hot start for head coach Brian Schottenheimer and All-Pro quarterback Dak Prescott, and one that needs to stay hot for 17-plus games.
"There's a choice, bro," said Guyton. "I mean, there's a choice that, when you get injured, especially for an extended period of time, you can either have one foot in or one foot out; and I chose to be all the way in with my team and go through everything like I was playing. [I was] in every meeting like I'm going out there to practice the next day because, at the end of the day, the team cohesion builds off of guys being there and being present. I wasn't going to miss a day."
And didn't.
