The Dallas Cowboys have a lot riding on 2024, with head coach Mike McCarthy, quarterback Dak Prescott, and new defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer all on expiring contracts.
To make things even more uncertain, Dallas is now forced to prepare for an immediate future without perhaps it’s most reliable stalwart of the past decade.
According to Ian Rapaport of NFL Network, star left tackle Tyron Smith is reportedly unlikely to return to the Cowboys.
End of an era: #Cowboys All-Pro and Pro Bowl LT Tyron Smith will be a free agent and is unlikely to return to Dallas, sources say. The blindside protector since 2011, Smith will be highly coveted. pic.twitter.com/eiTolVeFw6
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 2, 2024
Smith has held down the blind side since 2011 when the Cowboys selected him ninth overall in the draft and later rewarded him with an 8-year contract in 2014.
Injuries have started to catch up to the 8-time Pro Bowler, as Smith has missed at least three games in every season since 2015.
This is likely a big part of the reason why both parties are ready to move on, and the 33-year-old now becomes one of, if not the biggest name to hit the free agent offensive line market.
A future without Smith is daunting for Cowboys fans, but the 2024 draft is loaded with talent in the trenches. The team also used a 2022 first-round pick on tackle Tyler Smith, who has performed well and only missed three games in two seasons so far.
Tyler Smith performed well at both tackle and guard in 2022 and is the most obvious solution to take over at left tackle after Tyron’s departure.
It remains to be seen if the Cowboys will elect to go that route, but it is a viable option and one of many potential solutions to fill a major void left behind.
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