When Terence Steele fell to injury early in training camp, many feared the worst. Diagnosed with the dreaded high ankle sprain, Steele stood to miss significant time this preseason. It would be a tough pill to swallow for a Dallas Cowboys offense that is built around the success of their offensive line. Lucky for them not all high ankle injuries are created the same and Steele’s was deemed a minor one with a day-to-day designation.
The injury obviously impacts development and continuity. Dallas brought in an OL-focused coaching staff over the offseason and added new faces to the roster as well. Every practice is important this summer and the attendance of the offensive line’s most tenured member seems critical to the mission. Then again, a short-term absence might prove fruitful as well.
To be clear, losing Steele to injury, even a short term one, is unfortunate. The 28-year-old might have plateaued in his overall development but getting in sync with his new rookie linemate, right guard Tyler Booker, and finding the rhythm of the new blocking scheme, remains one of the most important objectives in training camp. Yet, cracking the door to get a sneak peek at who’s behind him on the roster isn’t without its long-term advantages either.
Sources tells me it’s a high ankle sprain for #Cowboys T Terence Steele. I’m told it’s not considered a major injury and will only have him sitting out a few days. Good news for the lineman
— Jane Slater (@SlaterNFL) July 25, 2025
As the most expensive and arguably most one-dimensional lineman on the team, Steele’s days could be numbered in Dallas. The Cowboys would enjoy a savings of $8,750,000 if they cut him over the 2026 offseason. Such a move makes obvious financial sense but unless the Cowboys know who’s going to replace him at right tackle, it might not make sense from a roster perspective.
In Steele’s absence the Cowboys have been rotating in a combination of Hakeem Adeniji and Asim Richards. Both are cheaper options who could serve as replacements next year in the starting lineup. Richards is three years younger. Neither player appears to be an immediate upgrade but a strong showing in Steele’s stead this summer would go a long way in determining their viability down the road.
Adeniji brings 15 career starts to the table and familiarity with multiple blocking schemes. The bulk of his experience comes on the right side with him logging 777 snaps at right guard in 2021 and 362 snaps at right tackle in 2022. Richards, on the other hand, has been focused on the left side up until now. He’s been on a more upward trajectory than Adeniji and gaining experience at RT seems like a great next step in his development.
A dark horse in the mix is second-year OT Nate Thomas. Sidelined with an injury last season, Thomas has had slow start to his NFL career. The seventh-round pick stands at a massive 6-foot-5, 320-pounds, bringing athleticism and position flex to the mix.
“A guy to watch out for is Nate Thomas, head coach Brian Schottenheimer said via Nick Harris. “He’s doing great. He’s a guy we didn’t get to see a lot of football out of last year. He’s been great.”
Thomas was one of those annual, summer-injury-place-on-long-term-IR UDFA stashes so common in the NFL.
If any one of these players show they can come close to Steele’s level of play they could give the Cowboys the nudge they need to mix things up after the season. With big deals potentially coming for Micah Parsons, DaRon Bland, George Pickens and others, cutting costs will be a priority for the Cowboys front office.
The Cowboys want Steele back in camp as soon as possible so they can build on the momentum of the offseason and focus on the continuity of unit. But using a short-term absence for a sneak peek at might be coming down the road has its long-term advantages as well.
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This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Terence Steele injury opens future opportunity for other Cowboys OTs