All-Pro guard Tyler Smith has become the highest-paid player at his position in NFL history after signing a four-year, $96 million extension with the Dallas Cowboys, his agency announced Saturday.
The deal, first reported by NFL Network, includes $81.2 million in guaranteed money. Smith’s contract surpasses Kansas City Chiefs guard Trey Smith’s four-year, $94 million deal signed in July.
Tyler Smith, a two-time Pro Bowl selection, is in his fourth season with Dallas, and locking up the 6-foot-6, 332-pound left guard wasn’t a difficult decision for the Cowboys.
Smith, a 2022 first-round pick, has become one of Dallas’ top players and most important leaders. He has taken over the team’s offensive line room after the torch was passed to him by former standouts Tyron Smith and Zack Martin. Those two will eventually be in the Cowboys Ring of Honor, and Smith has the potential to one day join them.
“He was dominant last year,” Martin said last season. “Really dominant. But he can get better, that’s the scary thing. I think he’s one of the top guys in the league, and he’s gonna be there for a while. The sky’s the limit for that guy.”
Smith now joins cornerback DaRon Bland, fullback Hunter Luepke and tight end Jake Ferguson as Cowboys who have signed extensions over the last two months. Dallas doesn’t usually do extensions after the season has started, but Smith always had the potential to be one of the exceptions. At only 24, he’s an extremely important part of the current team but also the future.
“We don’t have any hard-and-final deadlines on contracts,” Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said last week on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas. “If we did a contract eight games into the season, so be it. I will say this, I love the thought process of most of the players that we draft is they like to keep their mind on their business, but it still doesn’t mean that we can’t get a guy like Tyler Smith done (during the season). Certainly, we’d be all for it.”
Smith, who has started every game he’s played for the Cowboys, will make his 49th career start Sunday when Dallas hosts the New York Giants in Week 2.
