The NFL journey has come to an end for New York Jets offensive lineman Tyron Smith.
Smith, 34, is signing a one-day contract to retire as a member of the Dallas Cowboys, according to NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport.
“A five-time All-Pro and eight-time Pro Bowler, Smith played 13 stellar seasons in Dallas before his final season with the Jets,” Rapoport added.
Smith Failing With the Jets Was the Theme of Their 2024 Season
The green and white inked Smith, a five-time All-Pro and eight-time Pro Bowl selection, to a one-year deal with a maximum value of $20 million this past offseason.
The majority of those incentives were built around playing time. On paper, the risk for the Jets with this deal was Smith’s questionable injury history.
The former USC product hadn’t played a fully healthy season since 2015 when he signed with the Jets last offseason. When Smith was on the field, he was elite. However, his inability to stay on the field due to injury had plagued him for a decade.
Smith was one of several veteran additions the Jets added on one-year deals in 2024. That group included other players like wide receiver Mike Williams and pass rusher Haason Reddick.
The Jets pushed all of their chips into the middle of the table, going all in. It didn’t work out.
Surprisingly, the reason it didn’t work out for Smith wasn’t injury-related but rather performance-related. He allowed five sacks, which was the most he had given up since 2015. It was only the third time during his career he had allowed 4+ sacks during a season.
Eventually, Smith’s season ended when the team placed him on injured reserve due to a neck injury.
The Jets Still Got Some Value out of the Smith Addition
Smith will join a long list of free agency failures in Jets history for his on-field impact or lack thereof.
The signing wasn’t a complete waste, though.
Gang Green inked Smith in free agency and then double dipped by selecting offensive tackle Olu Fashanu with the No. 11 overall pick in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft.
Fashanu revealed shortly after he was drafted that his idol growing up was Smith. He said he used to watch tape of Smith on his tablet before he went to bed.
Fashanu received one-on-one training/mentoring from one of the most decorated left tackles in NFL history. That impact can’t be quantified on paper.
Smith said throughout training camp that Fashanu consistently stayed after practice and always peppered him with questions about his preparation and being a pro at the NFL level.
$20 Million Jets Veteran, 8-Time Pro Bowler Announces Retirement