ARLINGTON, Texas — Cowboys starting left tackle Tyron Smith exited with a left high ankle sprain late in the first quarter Sunday and did not return.
Smith went into the locker room following the injury and returned to the sideline with his left ankle heavily taped. He worked on some moves with reserve center Kevin Kowalski but never went back into the game.
Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones said he was "a little positive" about the injury to the former first-round pick.
"It's high ankle, which bothers the daylight out of you," Jones said. "But he was in good enough shape with it to go in, but we know how those things are. But man is he a focused young man and if anybody could fight through this level — and don't ask me what level I'm talking about — but the trainers were a little more than usual optimistic that it might not be as bad as it can be."
Reserve tackle Jeremy Parnell stepped in and played on the left side for the remainder of the game. If Smith cannot go Thursday against the Washington Redskins, Parnell would likely get the start in his absence.
"We just have to wait and see," Jones added. "I really don't know enough about that at all to predict anything about his availability for Thursday or against Philadelphia."
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