College Station, Texas, is located approximately 220 miles southeast of Dallas.
The Dallas Cowboys have added veteran guard Laken Tomlinson to their practice squad just prior to the start of the 2026 NFL season. This roster move addresses the absence of Pro Bowl left guard Tyler Smith, who will begin the year on injured reserve with a recovery timeline estimated at four to six weeks.
Tomlinson brings significant experience to the team, having played in 173 career games and starting 162 of them. His previous stops include the Detroit Lions, San Francisco 49ers, New York Jets, Seattle Seahawks, and Houston Texans. He was a first-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft and earned second-team All-Pro honors in 2023 along with a Pro Bowl selection in 2021 while with the 49ers.
After spending last season with the Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens, Tomlinson had not been on an NFL roster since January 2025. He started all 17 games for Seattle in 2024 under head coach Mike Macdonald. The Cowboys will face the New York Giants in their season opener in four days.
It remains unclear if Tomlinson will be promoted to the active roster for Week 1, though modern practice squad rules allow him to play on game days if needed. Should he not be promoted, backup interior lineman T.J. Bass is expected to fill in for Smith during his recovery.
