Despite mutual interest, a large divide in negotiations has the team and eight-time Pro Bowler teetering toward a split.
Dallas Cowboys offensive tackle Tyron Smith (77) leaves the field after a loss to the Green Bay Packers in an NFL wild-card playoff football game on Sunday, Jan. 14, 2024, in Arlington.(Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer)
All in the span of a meeting at the NFL scouting combine, the Cowboys and Tyron Smith have drifted to the brink of divorce.
Mutual interest has existed for the eight-time Pro Bowl left tackle to return to Dallas for a 14th season. But then club officials and Smith’s agent talked numbers Friday. It became clear a significant financial gap separates them, two people close to the situation told The Dallas Morning News on Saturday, and the divide is so drastic an eventual agreement is in doubt.
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The possibility Smith has played his final season in Dallas is growing. His contract is set to expire March 13, at which point he’d become an unrestricted free agent. But at least from the Cowboys’ perspective, a resolution has not been ruled out.
The strength of Smith’s market ultimately could determine whether he returns.
In one respect, the 33-year-old still plays at an elite level. Last year, Smith demonstrated so across 13 regular-season starts, responding well to a workload management program that featured him skipping the Wednesday and Thursday practices before Sunday games. The schedule correlated to better health; he played just 17 regular-season games the previous three years combined.
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That alone could be enough for another NFL team to woo Smith and compensate him what the Cowboys are unwilling. Or unable.
Dallas is not at all expected to be a major spender in free agency. It is staring down the barrel of potential contract extensions for the likes of quarterback Dak Prescott, wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and hybrid defensive end Micah Parsons. From past contract restructures, a good amount of dead money is also coming home to roost against the 2025 salary cap. Wide receiver Michael Gallup would count $8.7 million on the 2025 cap if released this month as a post-June 1 cut.
So, the Cowboys may be unable to compete for Smith in a bearish market.
But funny things can happen in free agency.
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Last offseason, tight end Dalton Schultz learned it was a poor time to be a veteran tight end looking for a major payday. The 2023 draft class was considered loaded at tight end, and that projection depressed offers for veterans. While older and with a problematic injury history, a healthy Smith is a more dominant tackle than Schultz is at tight end, and Smith plays a premier position. Offensive tackle and quarterback are widely considered the deepest positions in the 2024 draft.
How NFL teams square that landscape will dictate how far off the Cowboys’ numbers from Friday prove to be.
External clubs can begin negotiating with Joe Panos, Smith’s agent, on March 11.
If the Cowboys lose Smith, their best courses of action may be to draft his replacement or bump Tyler Smith from left guard.
A look at all the games Tyron Smith has missed during his 13 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys.(Michael Hogue)
