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It has been an interesting preseason for the Dallas Cowboys, including Brandon Aubrey’s incredible field goal and contract talks with CeeDee Lamb. And Monday, the team got a positive update from Mike McCarthy about former first-round pick Mazi Smith.
McCarthy said things are looking better for Smith, according to The Athletic’s Jon Machota.
“Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said DT Mazi Smith has “progressed through his situation” with an allergic reaction. He’ll participate today in the mock game,” Machota posted on X.
Cowboys DT Mazi Smith missed preseason game
Smith didn’t play in Saturday's preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders after suffering an allergic reaction, which reportedly happened on the team’s bus. The Cowboys’ first-round pick in 2023, Smith had a nice preseason opener against the Los Angeles Rams. McCarthy and the Cowboys are expecting him to bounce back from a tough 2023 debut.
Smith said he it was hard to deal with the way 2023 turned out, according to espn.com.
“Last year was hard for me,” Smith said. “I always hold myself to a certain standard. Always.”
But he said he’s ready to make a difference in 2024, playing more of a traditional defensive tackle role in defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer’s defense. The Cowboys drafted Smith because of his run-stuffing ability, but it didn’t show in Dan Quinn’s scheme. He also battled a shoulder injury.
McCarthy said Smith has worked hard to be in position to play better in 2024.
“Trust me, no one's put more pressure on himself than Mazi has just, based off what he went through last year,” McCarthy said. “And I just think like anything, you can't overreact to players when they have injuries. It's different. He's getting to where he needs to be. He's close.”
Teammate Micah Parsons, whose role will also change this year under Zimmer, is one of the Cowboys expecting Smith to be more of a force.
“It's not what I think he can be, it's what Mazi has to be,” Parsons said. “When you get to this business, there is no more of a ‘choice,' or a ‘can.' It's either you will or you won't. They usually try to find someone else to do it if you can't. It's what Mazi has to be. He has to be dominant. He has to be that guy for us.”
Dallas added veteran defensive tackle Jordan Phillips from the New York Giants this week, but it had no impact on Smith’s status as the starter at left defensive tackle.
