The Dallas Cowboys (5-2) appear to be the healthiest they've been all season entering Week 9 against the Eagles in Philadelphia. Only two players had a game status on the team's injury report: backup offensive tackle Chuma Edoga (ankle/knee) and eight-time Pro Bowl left tackle Tyron Smith (neck). Smith, at 32 years old and in his 13th NFL season, is active in Week 9 after a neck stinger held him out of the team's 43-20 rout of the Los Angeles Rams in Week 8. Smith missed Week 3 at the Arizona Cardinals and Week 4 against the New England Patriots with a knee injury.
Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones said Smith could have played last week if absolutely necessary, and his presence is certainly of the upmost importance as Dallas faces one of the strongest defensive lines in the league in Philadelphia's group that includes Pro Bowl edge rusher Hasson Reddick, six-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Fletcher Cox, Pro Bowl defensive end Brandon Graham and a trio of former first-round picks out of the University of Georgia -- defensive tackle Jordan Davis, defensive tackle Jalen Carter and edge rusher Nolan Smith.
"We all thought Tyron was going to go until the last second and probably better part of valor was to not play him today," Jerry Jones said after the win over the Rams in Week 8. "The Super Bowl might have been a different story, but we didn't want him to get another stinger out there on top of what he has had. He'll work through this as he always has throughout his career."
Five-year veteran Chuma Edoga, who filled in for Smith last week, is also active after suffering an ankle injury that required him to be carted off against Los Angeles. He has played in all seven games Dallas has played this season, starting five of them. Edoga has allowed two sacks and nine quarterback pressures on 173 pass-blocking snaps in 2023. He joined the team on a one-year deal this past offseason after three seasons with the New York Jets (2019-2021) and one with the Atlanta Falcons (2022). Edoga was a third-round pick of the Jets in the 2019 NFL Draft.
The Eagles' inactives include third quarterback Tanner McKee, cornerback Bradley Roby, running back Boston Scott, defensive tackle Moro Ojomo, tight end Grant Calcaterra and defensive end Derek Barnett.
Dallas is looking to hand Philadelphia just its second lose of the season to take over the early head-to-head tiebreaker over its NFC East rival.