The Dallas Cowboys, the media and its widespread fanbase have the majority of their attention squared at one future contract extension; that of All-Pro edge rusher and linebacker, Micah Parsons.
And whilst EVP, Stephen Jones, feels confident that they will eventually get a deal done with the former Penn State star, there have been few forthcoming updates on that deal in recent weeks.
However, a deal that should be looked at considerably more eagerness is the likely looming contract set to be awarded to Cowboys guard, Tyler Smith.
Smith has started all but four games over the past three seasons in the NFL, since being drafted out of Tulsa in 2022, en route to making the All-Rookie team, followed by two Pro Bowl appearances and one second team All-Pro selection this past season.
Tyler Smith Could Be Next In Line To Break The Bank In Dallas
Accordingly, Smith is viewed by Kristopher Knox at Bleacher Report as a player who could well reset the market at guard when he gets paid – although he could be waiting a while.
“Dallas Cowboys offensive lineman Tyler Smith is extension-eligible this offseason,” Knox writes, “Though Dallas doesn’t have a recent habit of awarding new contracts early. If the Cowboys decide to extend him this offseason at all, there’s a good chance they’ll wait until after Trey Smith has signed his deal.”
“Now, there’s no guarantee the Cowboys will extend Smith this year. The 2022 first-round pick still has two years remaining on his rookie deal, and Jerry Jones has a tendency to wait on contracts.”
Will Tyler Smith Get His Extension This Offseason?
Yet, Knox considers that Jones could make an exception for Smith and pay him early – possibly giving him a league-high deal at interior offensive line in the process.
“Smith has started 47 games in three seasons and has earned a pair of Pro Bowl nods. He’s also proven himself capable of filling in at tackle if needed and has been mostly reliable when in the lineup. While Smith does have an alarming penchant for penalties—he had nine last season, per PFF—he’s played at least 96 percent of the offensive snaps in every campaign.”
“Does Smith deserve a record-setting contract after only three seasons? Perhaps not, but since we’re talking about the Cowboys, it’s entirely possible. Prescott wasn’t the best quarterback in the NFL entering the 2024 season, but Jones made him the highest-paid player in league history anyway.”
Smith is not – as Knox notes – at this point in time one of the absolute top guards in football, in the tier of figures like Quentin Nelson, Quinn Meinerz, Landon Dickerson and Chris Lindstrom. However, he is probably in the tier directly below those players, and easily a top 10 guard in football.
And with all of those players tied up in long term deals, it would not be shocking to see the former Tulsa man supplant Dickerson as the highest paid guard in football at some point over the next 10 months.
