The saga involving Tyler Smith receiving a contract extension from the Dallas Cowboys continues. But is there some light at the end of the tunnel?
Apparently, both sides are in the midst of negotiating a deal this week, per Clarence Hill Jr. of DLLS. The hope is to get a deal done before Thursday's season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Otherwise, a deal can still be worked out sometime this year. In April, Smith made the choice to exercise his fifth-year option on his current deal. Ultimately, the Cowboys locked in his salary at $21.27 million and bought them enough time to work out a long-term contract.
Smith sent out a clear message about what he wanted before the Cowboys' training camp started. Ultimately, his mindset was focused on the start of the season and letting everything else take care of itself.
Altogether, the Cowboys are looking to secure Smith for the long haul, considering the valuable asset he's become. In 2022, he was a first-round draft pick by Dallas.
Along the way, he became one of the most effective guards in the league. In 2023, Smith received an All-Pro nomination and was named to back-to-back Pro Bowls in 2022 and 2023.
At this point, Smith is hoping to become the highest-paid guard in the NFL.
Can the Cowboys and Tyler Smith get something done?
Conventional wisdom is that making a deal will take longer. However, the Cowboys recently managed to work something out for one of their own, expecting an extension.
After the blockbuster trading of Micah Parsons, the Cowboys managed to sign DaRon Bland to a $92 million contract extension.
At this point, Smith is the leader of the offensive line. This comes after the retirement of Tyron Smith, followed by the retirement of Zack Martin.
It would be wise of Jerry Jones and the organization to keep Smith for the long haul, given the obvious circumstances.
