Jerry Jones Throws Shade at Ezekiel Elliott While Announcing Jaylon Smith Deal

Getty Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott talks with owner Jerry Jones.

The Dallas Cowboys made a surprise announcement on Tuesday, signing linebacker Jaylon Smith to a lucrative extension that will keep the linebacker with the team long-term.

The five-year contract extension is worth $64 million with $35.5 million guaranteed, according to Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News.

And if there was any question that owner Jerry Jones was trying to send a message to his multiple other stars looking for deals, he made it very clear as he announced the deal for Smith.

“It is neat that Jaylon understands that when you have a solid roster and you have as many high-quality young players that we have, you have to allocate your resources wisely to keep and have all those players,” Jerry Jones said. “That’s called team building, and I will assure you that this was about team. It certainly was beneficial to Jaylon but I can assure you this was about team. Our goals are to build the best team and it takes cooperation from both parties when you are doing agreements. He’s worth 1,000 words of anything we can say about contracts and the Dallas Cowboys.”

The sides were quick to reach the lucrative agreement, with Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones saying that it took less than a week and a half.


Jerry Jones on Other Cowboys Contracts: ‘There is Less Pie Left ‘

Smith was one of the Cowboys in search of a new deal and could have become a free agent at the end of the season. However, he was not a player many were talking about, with Pro Bowlers Ezekiel Elliott, Dak Prescott, Amari Cooper and Byron Jones all in search of new deals as well.

Jerry Jones had hinted early last week that a deal was coming, although it would have been hard to pin down that it was Smith.

“Would it be better if we can get one of the players done (before the season) than to not have any done of the ones you’re talking about? The answer is yes,” Jones said last Tuesday. “What may surprise you is we may come up with one that you haven’t been asking about.”

Elliott has been the most high-profile of the Cowboys seeking extensions, holding out from training camp despite having two years left on his deal. The sides have not made a ton of headway in discussions and have recently spared over things said in the media. 

Stephen Jones noted that he believes long-term deals can get done for all three of the Cowboys offensive weapons, saying: “Our door is always open for business.”

However, Jerry Jones made sure to note, “there is less pie left, make no bones about it.”


Jerry Jones Gets Emotional Talking About Jaylon Smith

The Cowboys took a calculated risk selecting Smith was in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft. In his final college game, the Notre Dame product suffered a devastating knee injury that caused him to miss his entire rookie season.

But when Smith became a full-time starter in 2018, he shined with 121 tackles (82 solo), four sacks, two forced fumbles, and a defensive touchdown.

Smith made it clear with his comments last week that he has enjoyed his time in Dallas.

“I want to be a Cowboy. I want to be a Cowboy for the rest of my life,” Smith told Jon Machota of The Athletic. “Understanding what they’ve done for me, taking a chance, taking a risk. Now they’re getting the return on their investment. It’s a beautiful thing to be a Dallas Cowboy.”

Jerry Jones got emotional several times talking about Smith and his journey.

“He has never complained, he has never wavered, never missed a workout and he has never quit — not one time,” Jerry Jones said. “He is admired by his teammates, he’s admired by the people he competes against. His story is one I would have done anything to make sure that it could be a Dallas Cowboys story.”

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