LAS VEGAS — When the Dallas Cowboys take the field against the Las Vegas Raiders for what will be their second outing of the preseason, they'll do so without Mazi Smith. The 23-year-old suffered an allergic reaction just ahead of travel to Nevada on Friday, requiring him to remain in Oxnard for medical treatment and monitoring.
Smith was reevaluated on Saturday morning to determine his status and has been ruled out against the Raiders, the Cowboys opting to exercise caution in the matter — given its nature.
The former first-round pick is having a very strong camp and that included showing solid progress in the preseason opener against the Los Angeles Rams, going on to participate in the team's second scrimmage against those very Rams this past week before speaking to media to give a candid look at where he believes he is in the process of becoming the Cowboys' starting nose tackle.
That journey will pause for a few days though, as he is nursed back to health with the hopes of being medically cleared to participate in the final preseason game to come — versus the Los Angeles Chargers on Saturday, Aug. 24 at AT&T Stadium.
For now, it's all about recovering and patience.
Without Smith on the field, look for added reps to rookies Justin Rogers and Denzel Daxon, as well as veteran nose tackle Albert Huggins, who'll need a strong showing after making headlines in practice this week for the wrong reasons.
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The Cowboys will host 2024 "Cowboys Night," presented by American Airlines, at The Star in Frisco on Aug. 27-28. For more details visit www.DallasCowboys.com/TrainingCamp.
