Aldon Smith Speaks Out Strongly on Why Cowboys ‘Suck Right Now’

Aldon Smith

Getty Aldon Smith

Say this for Aldon Smith: He doesn’t mince words.

In an interview with the Dallas Cowboys‘ in-house media arm, the veteran linebacker delivered a brutally honest State of the Union, underscoring the frustration of a bitterly disappointing 2020 campaign.

“We can be great. We just need to believe in ourselves. We just need to work a little harder. We suck right now,” Smith said, per The Athletic. “I love these guys. We haven’t made the plays we need to make, but we will. Stick along for the ride. Sh*t happens.”

He continued: “These are the people I care about. These are my teammates. I know what they’re physically capable of … These guys are serious about their craft and we’re gonna make things happen. … I’m gonna leave you with this, sh*t happens.”

Smith has been a lone bright spot on Mike Nolan’s beleaguered defensive unit. Returning from a half-decade NFL suspension, the former All-Pro pass-rusher currently leads the 4-9 Cowboys with five sacks, adding 30 solo tackles, five tackles-for-loss, and two pass deflections across 652 snaps. His most impactful play came Sunday when Smith scooped up a fumble and returned it for a touchdown amid Dallas’ 30-7 stomping of Cincinnati.

The commanding win represented a brief respite after weeks of wandering the football desert, searching for sustainable success. It’s been a year of mirages and apparitions, visions of grandeur in the shape of a Lombardi Trophy.

Then … poof. Gone.

“This whole thing is an adjustment for me. But I’m really happy to be a part of the team I’m a part of,” Smith said, per The Athletic.

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Keeping It Real

Smith likely was asked about that aforementioned adjustment, going from stardom to obscurity to suiting up for America’s Team. He likely won over his fellow players with his response.

The worst part for Smith hasn’t necessarily been the losses. Or playing on a historically bad defense that’s surrendered 400 points in 13 games. He grew accustomed to the lows of the business during (and following) his time with the San Francisco 49ers and Oakland Raiders.

“The most difficult part has been the bullsh*t you have to deal with,” Smith said, per The Athletic. “It’s not the physical. It’s the bullsh*t you have to deal with. By the bullsh*t, I mean, everything that comes along with playing the game. I just want to be blunt, people deal with sh*t.”

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Future Beyond 2020

Smith inked a non-guaranteed one-year, $2 million deal rife with bonuses and sack incentives and a $910,000 base salary for this season. He’s scheduled to hit unrestricted free agency in March.

As NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo previously reported, however, the Cowboys think of the 30-year-old as more than a mere flier. Such is the reason they were not willing to deal him at October’s trade deadline.

“He’s playing well, he’s generating pressure, and the Cowboys said, ‘We are not trading this guy. He is signed for this year.’ So likely a lucrative extension to stay in Dallas [is] coming for Aldon Smith,” Garafolo said at the time.


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Follow Zack Kelberman on Twitter: @KelbermanNFL