Brian Schottenheimer gives high praise for Cowboys lineman who battled Rams star

Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer had nothing but good things to say about one offensive lineman who was put to the test in joint practice with Rams.

Dallas Cowboys tackle Nate Thomas during training camp at the River Ridge Fields. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

This past Tuesday, the Dallas Cowboys held a joint practice with the Los Angeles Rams, who they will meet this Saturday in their first preseason game.

The team having their first action against someone other than themselves, made Tuesday's practice feel like the energy one would have for an actual game.

There were plenty of highlights from the practice, including wide receiver KaVontae Turpin showing off his speed.

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However, one of the biggest stories was the play of offensive tackle Nate Thomas.

Los Angeles Rams linebacker Jared Verse before action against the Philadelphia Eagles in a 2025 NFC divisional round game. | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Thomas hasn't seen any meaningful action with the Cowboys since being selected in the seventh round of the 2024 NFL Draft. But his name has been called to fill in for the injured Tyler Guyton, and his first test was against Rams star edge rusher Jared Verse.

No matter who goes up against Verse, they're not winning every rep. But according to Cowboys head coach Brian Schotteneheimer, Thomas did some impressive things in his action against Verse.

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Schottenheimer had this to day about Thomas' joint practice performance:

"He’s a terrific player and he’s certainly going to make plays. He made a few plays. A couple of the plays were made on things, but I thought Nate battled. I thought there were some good things he did, and again, those reps are priceless.”

Losing a starter on the offensive line before the season begins can be a massive blow. However, the coaching staff has trust in Thomas to be the right man for the job.

Dallas Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer at training camp at the River Ridge Fields. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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