Earlier in the offseason, the Dallas Cowboys made a pretty surprising move: they signed veteran linebacker Aldon Smith.

Now, it might not seem that crazy at first glance, as the Cowboys could use some depth at the position. Meanwhile, Smith was one of the elite linebackers in the NFL not all that long ago.

The reason it was surprising though, is Smith's recent history. He has not played a game in the NFL since 2015.

A litany of off-field issues caused all sorts of problems for the talented linebacker, and there was a pretty strong chance he would never play again. The Cowboys decided to take a chance on Smith, who is only 30 and still has a long way to go in his career.

Could this be the turnaround that he needed? Well, the issue with that was pretty clear: would Smith even be allowed to play?

According to Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com, Stephen Jones (the COO, executive VP and director of player personnel for the Cowboys) said that Smith has talked to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell already.

Now, it appears that they have not heard back from Goodell, but it is worth noting that the Cowboys also have Randy Gregory who is in a similar position to Smith. That being said, this still shows that they are taking the necessary steps.

Article Continues Below
More Dallas Cowboys News
Oct 6, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens (14) walks off the field against the Dallas Cowboys during the third quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images
Cowboys’ George Pickens reveals Dallas’ offensive key ‘others don’t do’Josh Davis ·
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens (14) looks on in the third quarter against the Baltimore Ravens in an AFC wild card game at M&T Bank Stadium.
George Pickens reveals biggest difference from Steelers to CowboysBenedetto Vitale ·
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) calls out before a play against the San Francisco 49ers during the first quarter at Levi's Stadium.
Cowboys rumors: Why the pressure is on for Dak Prescott after George Pickens tradeMatty Breisch ·
Dallas Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs (7) smiles while talking with linebacker Micah Parsons (11) on the sideline during the fourth quarter of their game against the Philadelphia Eagles at AT&T Stadium
Micah Parsons, Trevon Diggs get huge Cowboys minicamp updatesBen Strauss ·
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) walks off the field after a game against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Cowboys QB Dak Prescott will love Ken Dorsey’s biggest key to passing gameBenedetto Vitale ·
image thumbnail
3 Cowboys veterans whose roles will be pushed by rookies in 2025Garrett Kerman ·

It's likely that Dallas will hear back from the commissioner sooner rather than later when it comes to Smith.

Smith started off his career with a bang. With the San Francisco 49ers, the linebacker racked up 14 sacks in his rookie year. He followed that up with a ridiculous 19.5 in his sophomore season.

However, he hasn't played a full season since then. He recorded 8.5 sacks the following year (11 games), then two sacks in seven games the next campaign and 3.5 sacks in nine games the year after that.

Smith was out of the league after that. What was once a budding superstar career is now on life support. So what Goodell decides could mean everything to Smith, and a whole lot to the Cowboys who could be getting a star player hungry to prove himself once again.

The good news is that the proper steps have been taken. One way or another, we should all know the status of Aldon Smith (and Gregory) soon enough.