A former, key member of the Dallas Cowboys is expected to retire and come back home for one day to do it the right way.
Get some tissue ready, because this one is a tear-jerker. Anyone who follows the NFL knows that Tyron Smith is one of the most talented offensive tackles of his generation. He’s an eight-time Pro Bowler and has spent 14 seasons in the NFL, 13 of which were with the Dallas Cowboys.
Now, Smith is expected to retire after 14 seasons in the NFL, and he wants to do it as a member of the Dallas Cowboys. That seems appropriate, right?
Tyron Smith and the Dallas Cowboys Dance Again
Smith spent the 2024 season with the New York Jets, but according to the Dallas Cowboys’ website, he’s expected to retire as a Cowboy by inking a one-day contract with Dallas on Wednesday, April 16, with a press conference set for the Star in Frisco at 3 p.m. Eastern time. The press conference will be live-streamed via the Dallas Cowboys website and on the Cowboys mobile app.
Smith hailed from Moreno Valley, California, and was the ninth overall pick out of USC in the 2011 NFL Draft. He began his time in the NFL at right tackle for the Cowboys and then moved to the left side of the Cowboys’ line. During his time with the Cowboys, he snagged Pro Bowl honors for seven consecutive years from 2013 to 2019 and was also a two-time AP First-Team All Pro.
In 2011, Smith was actually the first offensive lineman that current Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones picked in the first round of the NFL Draft since he took over the franchise.
“Injuries were always a factor for Smith in his playing days, but he was always still one of if not the most dominant offensive lineman on the field when healthy,” Tommy Yarrish of the Dallas Cowboys’ website stated in an April 15 article. “When the NFL released their All-Decades team for the 2010s, Smith was one of the four offensive tackles chosen alongside Jason Peters, Joe Staley and Joe Thomas.”
Dak Prescott Pays Tribute to Tyron Smith
Chances are, Wednesday’s press conference is going to be a star-studded event with plenty of legendary Cowboys in attendance. Quarterback Dak Prescot took to his Instagram Stories to congratulation his former teammate, stating, “I always got your back, as you had mine!” on his IG story. “Enjoy retirement! Grrrr.”
“It was hard for fans to see Smith leave last season. After 13 seasons with the Cowboys, Smith spent the 2024 season with the New York Jets,” Tyler Reed of Sports Illustrated noted in an April 15 feature. “Smith is one of the greatest players ever to play for the Cowboys, and this is an incredible moment for him and the franchise.”
“More recently, the injury bug had started to take bigger bites out of Smith, who had been unable to play a full season since 2015,” Tyler Sullivan stated in an April 15 piece for CBS Sports. “For New York last season, Smith suited up in 10 games.”
It’s really fitting that Smith will retire as a Cowboy, and many fans wouldn’t want to see it any other way. Once a Cowboy, always a Cowboy.
