The Dallas Cowboys haven’t yet been able to agree with a contract extension with offensive superstars like Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott, but Jerry Jones made a step towards securing the team’s future after agreeing to a five-year, $64 million contract extension with inside linebacker Jaylon Smith on Tuesday.
Smith, a second-round pick out of Notre Dame in the 2016 NFL Draft, will now be under the Cowboys’ control for the next seven seasons. The tackling machine spoke of a desire to remain a “Cowboy for life” when signing his new deal, demonstrating that he’s clearly happy to be in Dallas.
It’s been a long rise to this point for the Fort Wayne, Indiana native, who suffered a devastating knee injury at the end of his college career. Smith tore both the ACL and LCL in his final game in the Fiesta Bowl against Ohio State, plunging his draft stock and leaving many to wonder if he’d ever be the player he once was.
Clearly, he’s come back strong.
Smith started all 16 games for Dallas last season, finishing the season with 121 combined tackles and 4 sacks. He was named Pro Football Focus’s “Breakout Player of the Year” and looks to have a strong future as a top linebacker in the league.
Now, he knows that he’ll be in Dallas for the foreseeable future.
