Dallas Cowboys linebacker Jaylon Smith will be making his career debut on Saturday in Dallas' third preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts, but there will be some restrictions on him.
Smith, who the Cowboys picked in the second round of the 2016 draft, hasn't played since tearing his ACL and MCL in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 1, 2016 while at Notre Dame. As such, he will be on a "pitch count" against the Colts, executive vice president Stephen Jones said.
“You don’t need to go win defensive player of the year in the first night out in the preseason game,” Jones said. “He has trusted the process. He knows what we have done with him and have his best interest at stake here. He trusts the training staff, the coaching staff, the organization. Obviously we have made a big investment in him.”
Smith was projected to be a top-10 pick before suffering the injury, and there were concerns if he was ever going to be able to play again. However, Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett said the team couldn't be happier with Smith's progression.
“We all understood the severity of the injury,” Garrett said. “But we always felt like we knew the guy. Just the way he’s handled himself.
“He literally has not had a bad minute since he’s been here. He comes to work every day with incredible spirit and he’s just so much fun to be around. Everybody is pulling for him. He’s worked very hard. He deserves this opportunity.”
Smith expressed his excitement about making his debut on Twitter.
About time #ClearEyeView pic.twitter.com/VgFDwFsNTn
— Jaylon Smith (@thejaylonsmith) August 16, 2017
Now healthy, Smith is expected to play a significant role in Dallas' linebacker rotation.
The 6-foot-2, 235-pounder recorded 115 tackles with nine tackles for loss, one sack and two fumble recoveries as a junior before suffering the injury.
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