A longtime member of the New York Jets is hanging up his cleats and moving on to the next phase of his life.
ESPN’s Rich Cimini shared on social media that ex-Jets defensive tackle Tanzel Smart “has joined the [Dallas] Cowboys coaching staff as a defensive assistant … he will assist DL coach Aaron Whitecotton, an ex-Jets assistant.”
Former Jets DT Tanzel Smart has joined the Cowboys coaching staff as a defensive assistant. Maybe he can find a “car-coochie board” in Dallas. He will assist DL coach Aaron Whitecotton, an ex-Jets assistant. #Jets pic.twitter.com/F2jnWp4pQB
— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) February 14, 2025
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ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter confirmed the news on X previously Twitter with an official coaching roster from the Cowboys. Smart is listed as a defensive assistant and a defensive quality control coach.
Smart Was a Fan-Favorite, Unable to Break Through in NY
The former Tulane product spent seven years in the NFL as a player. He first entered the league as the No. 189 overall pick in the sixth round of the 2017 NFL draft.
The first three years of his career were spent with the Los Angeles Rams. Smart had two very quick cups of coffee with the Buffalo Bills and the Cleveland Browns over a month span in August and September of 2020.
Smart spent the final four and a half years of his career with the Jets.
During his run, Smart appeared in 41 games and made four starts. He never recorded a sack, but did total 31 tackles and a quarterback hit.
Smart was an easy guy to root for on the 90-man roster for the Jets as he attempted to crack the 53-man roster. The only problem for the veteran defensive tackle is the Jets’ D-Line room was their strongest positional group which made it all the more difficult to crack the rotation.
Smart went viral during the 2023 edition of HBO’s Hard Knocks for his unique pronunciation of “charcuterie.”
Wait for Tanzel Smart’s pronunciation of charcuterie 😂 @nyjets#HardKnocks now streaming on Max pic.twitter.com/baSeQyrD9c
— NFL (@NFL) August 10, 2023
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A New Twist in the Jets-Aaron Rodgers Saga
There have been a wide range of reports coming off of the Jets’ decision to move on from Aaron Rodgers this offseason.
The latest plot twist comes from Steve Helling and Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post who shared that Rodgers “pleaded” with the Jets to keep him.
In their final conversation together, Rodgers “aggressively urged” the Jets to give him another year or two.
However, at the end of the day, he accepted his fate “like a man going to the gallows,” according to the New York Post. That seems wildly out of character for Rodgers.
Regardless of what reports continue to come out from NFL Network, the New York Post, or The Athletic – we will probably never know what actually transpired in that meeting room.
What we do know is head coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey are going in a new direction. We know Rodgers won’t be QB1 but we don’t know who will be in 2025.
