Dallas Cowboys linebacker Jaylon Smith will have to wait until next season to make his NFL debut, but the rookie insists he feels healthy enough to play right now.
Smith, who suffered a knee injury in his final game at Notre Dame last year, told reporters on Thursday that the damaged nerve in his leg is regenerating and he expects to be ready to go when the offseason program begins in May.
“Yeah, it’s regenerating,” he said, per Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News. “It’s just a thing that you have to have patience. I’m going to continue to do everything I’m asked and controlling what I can control and we’re going to take our time with it.”
Smith said tests have confirmed that the nerve damage is improving, and he insists he can feel the difference. He claims he recently ran a 40-yard dash in 4.50 seconds and is getting back to changing direction while sprinting. In fact, Smith believes he could have contributed for the Cowboys in the postseason if he was still active.
“I think I could have played and competed at an elite level,” he said. “But with us coming together and realizing the situation with the nerve coming back, we’re going to be patient and trust God’s timing.”
The Cowboys moved Smith from the non-football injury list to injured reserve last month, ending any chance he might have had of suiting up this season. And if the second-round pick is capable of living up to any of the hype one franchise legend heaped on him, you can understand why the team is being careful. Smith should make an already great Dallas team even better in 2017.
