For basically a decade, the Dallas Cowboys knew that the blindside of their offensive line was in good hands with Tyron Smith. He was one of the premier left tackles in the NFL, making the Hall of Fame All-2010s team and it was well deserved.
From 2011, his rookie season, through 2019, Tyron Smith racked up seven Pro Bowls and four All-Pro Teams; two first-team and two second-team. For the first five seasons of his career, he was on the field for nearly every snap, missing only one game. But, from 2016 on, it has been a struggle to stay healthy.
Tyron Smith missed three games every season from 2016-2019. Since then, it has become even more difficult for him to stay on the field. He has appeared in only 17 games total in the last three seasons, playing in 11 games in 2021.
The one-time stalwart at left tackle is now essentially a part-time player for the Cowboys. When he is healthy, he remains productive, but the issue is that he is rarely ever healthy. As a result, the Cowboys and Tyron Smith agreed to a restructured deal this offseason.
All in all, this is a solid agreement for Tyron Smith. The new contract includes a $3 million signing bonus and $3 million in base salary. There are also incentives included that are based on his playing time and if the team qualifies for the postseason.
The most important aspect of the deal is that it cleared $9.6 million in cap space for the Cowboys to use elsewhere on the roster. Tyron Smith has to come away feeling good about it as well as there is a chance he earns $17 million in 2023. Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network shared the update.
This contract is a win for everyone involved. Tyron Smith, should he remain healthy, has a chance to be one of the highest-paid tackles in the NFL this season. The Cowboys not only keep their star left tackle but open up cap space so that they can continue adding talent to the roster elsewhere.
Hopefully, for Dallas, Tyron Smith can remain healthy. If not, at least they know that they have players on the roster capable of stepping into larger roles from all of the snaps that they have played the last few seasons with him sidelined.