FRISCO, Texas — Simply put, there is no way to outright replace a talent like Tyler Smith, the all-world left guard set to miss 4-6 weeks with a thumb injury. That said, the Dallas Cowboys are in a much better situation than most of the other 31 NFL teams in this type of situation, thanks to T.J. Bass.

The ability of Bass to step in and play at a high level for the Cowboys is a matter of public record. Bass has 10 NFL starts under his belt, five in 2025 alone, and is no stranger to being called upon in a pinch.

The next pinch begins with the regular season opener against the New York Giants.

"Nothing really changes," he said. "I always prepare as if I'm gonna play because you never know what's gonna happen in this league. Weird things happen all the time, so nothing really changes."

The waters-run-still demeanor of Bass has always worked in his favor, as does the fact that, this time, he'll be asked to step in at a position he has a lot of experience playing — from his days playing for the University of Oregon.

"Yeah, I'm pretty comfortable with it," Bass said. "I'd say like left guard is a lot easier for me to step in. It's a little more natural because that's all I played in college so, going back to that, it's a little more natural for me. I've been mostly at center throughout the camp because this is the first year I've really had to back up center, you know?

"I did have to put a little bit more preparation into [left guard] this week, and getting ready for that, just in case, but yeah, I feel pretty comfortable."

Time and again, head coach Brian Schottenheimer and Klayton Adams have praised Bass for his mentality, physicality and ability to save the day with little, and sometimes with zero, warning.

That's something Adams spoke about heading into the primetime bout against the Giants, the decision by the Cowboys' front office to apply a second-round tender and to ultimately re-sign Bass paying immediate dividends only a few months later.

"The discussions that we had in the offseason when we were trying to figure out exactly what his tender was going to be on an undrafted free agent, we asked ourselves, ' Would you be OK with this guy as your starter in this league?'

"We definitely feel that way. We look at him as if he is a starter. When he has to go in and play, just like he's going to have to go in the next several weeks,, we expect him to play starting and winning football for us."

A big test awaits Bass in his next start for the Cowboys, by way of the Giants' impressive defensive line and linebackers corps, but if history is any indication, he'll open more than a few eyes in New York and beyond.