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The Cowboys were able to get linebacker Jaylon Smith in the second round of the draft because fears about lingering nerve damage resulting from the knee injury he suffered in the Fiesta Bowl.

Teams wondered if the issue would keep him from playing in 2016 and if it would limit his effectiveness beyond this year, but Smith’s surgery was done by the Cowboys’ team doctor and his confidence in Smith’s future carried over to the team.

Smith said there was “absolutely” a chance that he’d be on the field this season because “the nerve can come back tomorrow.” Smith’s knee surgery was done by the Cowboys doctor and owner Jerry Jones said he shares Smith’s hope that the knee will improve sooner rather than later.

As of now, though, it doesn’t look like there’s much positive movement. Ed Werder of ESPN reports that there’s been no “significant improvement” in the injured nerve at this point and, as a result, it remains unlikely that Smith will be on the field in 2016.

If that’s the case, the big question in Dallas will shift to whether or not Smith can return to being the kind of player that was projected to be a high first-round pick throughout his career at Notre Dame.