The Cowboys‘ spending spree continued when the franchise locked up one of its best players in left guard Tyler Smith on Saturday.
Smith and the Cowboys agreed to a four-year, $96 million extension, two people with knowledge of the deal told The Dallas Morning News.
The Cowboys announced Smith is signed through the 2030 season.
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Smith receives a whopping $80 million in guarantees, the highest for any guard in league history. His average salary is $24 million.
The franchise has spent over $165 million in guaranteed money since the summer on tight end Jake Ferguson, corner DaRon Bland, fullback Hunter Luepke and now Smith.
Smith, 24, was a first-round pick from Tulsa in the 2022 NFL draft. The North Crowley High School product is considered one of the top guards in the NFL.
In the offseason, Kansas City’s Trey Smith became the highest-paid guard with a $23.5 million average salary. Trey Smith signed a four-year $94 million deal with $70 million in guarantees. He surpassed the deal of Atlanta’s Chris Lindstrom, who inked a five-year $102.5 million deal in 2023. Lindstrom, who averages $20.5 million, is getting $62.7 million in guaranteed money.
Smith was drafted with the possibility of moving to left tackle, however, team officials believe he is better suited to remain at the guard position.
In 2022, Smith started 16 games at left tackle, but the following year he started 14 games at left guard and in 2024 started 15 more at the same position.
He’s a two-time Pro Bowl selection, both coming in the 2023 and 2024 seasons. He joined Zack Martin, Travis Frederick, and Larry Allen as the only offensive linemen in team history to earn multiple Pro Bowl spots in their first three seasons.
In training camp, the Cowboys extended the contracts of Ferguson (four-year, $52 million with $30 million guaranteed), Bland (four-year, $92 million and $50 million guaranteed), Luepke (two year, $7.5 million and $5 million guaranteed) and now Smith.
The Cowboys’ acquisition of defensive tackle Kenny Clark in a trade will pay him $10 million in base salaries for the 2025 and 2026 seasons. He’s due an $11 million roster bonus if he’s on the roster on the third day of the 2026 league year.
Those are consolation prizes considering the team didn’t extend the contract of pass rusher Micah Parsons, whom the team traded to Green Bay on Aug. 28 for two first-round picks and Clark.
After trading Parsons, the team picked up more than $44 million in salary cap space, and extended the contracts of Ferguson and Smith.
Before the Parsons trade, team executive vice president Stephen Jones said in training camp that the team was in the process of re-signing four to five players, which included Parsons, Ferguson, and Smith.
In securing Smith, the Cowboys made sure one of their premium players was taken care of long-term.
While the team doesn’t have Parsons on the field, it does have one more elite player on the roster with a long-term contract in Smith.
The Cowboys have other contract extensions to work on from kicker Brandon Aubrey, receiver George Pickens and edge rusher Sam Williams.
“Tyler, I think he’s the best guard in football,” coach Brian Schottenheimer said Friday before the contract was finalized. “I don’t think I’m overselling him. I really think he is.”
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