Tyron Smith to retire: OT will sign one-day contract with Cowboys, per report
Long-time Dallas Cowboys offensive tackle Tyron Smith is set to retire after 14 NFL seasons, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports.
Dallas announced it would host a news conference regarding Smith's future at 3 p.m. ET Wednesday. Smith is expected to sign a one-day contract with the Cowboys before calling it quits.
Smith, 34, played 13 of his 14 NFL seasons with the Cowboys after being the 10th overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. He began his career playing at right tackle before eventually switching with Doug Free to take over the blind side.
In Dallas, Smith was perennially one of the NFL's best offensive tackles. He was a five-time All-Pro – making the first team twice and second team three times – and was named to eight Pro Bowls while playing in 161 games (all starts) for the franchise.
Smith struggled with injuries over his final four seasons with the Cowboys. He played in just 30 of a possible 67 regular-season games while dealing with neck, back, ankle and knee problems.
Smith's injury issues prompted Dallas to move on from him ahead of the 2024 NFL season. He inked a one-year deal with the New York Jets worth up to $20 million and played in 10 games, allowing five sacks and committing six penalties. He graded 30th among Pro Football Focus' 81 qualified tackles for 2024; his overall grade of 73.7 was his fourth-lowest for a season in his career.
Smith becomes the third top-10 pick from the 2011 NFL draft to officially retire during the 2025 NFL offseason, joining Patrick Peterson and Julio Jones.
At present, there are just four players from the 2011 draft class still on NFL rosters. They are as follows:
- Cameron Jordan, New Orleans Saints
- Cameron Heyward, Pittsburgh Steelers
- Andy Dalton, Carolina Panthers
- Tyrod Taylor, New York Jets
Von Miller and Lawrence Guy are the only other 2011 draftees to play during the 2024 NFL season who haven't yet signed contracts for the 2025 campaign.