Dallas Cowboys officially exercise fifth-year option on 2022 first-round pick Tyler Smith

Dallas Cowboys officially exercise fifth-year option on 2022 first-round pick Tyler Smith

The Dallas Cowboys have officially exercised the fifth-year option on 2022 first-round pick Tyler Smith. It was, making an assumption here, a pretty easy decision. News of it was reported late Thursday night following the first round of the NFL Draft and the selection of another interior offensive lineman named Tyler in Tyler Booker.

The Cowboys have picked up the fifth-year option on guard Tyler Smith for 2026. Since he has been selected to two Pro Bowls, that cost is $23.4 million.

— Todd Archer (@toddarcher) April 25, 2025

Group of cowboys on horseback at a rodeo event in an outdoor stadium.
Photo: Serge Lessard / Pexels

It was already three years ago when the Cowboys shocked the world and took this Tyler out of Tulsa in the first round of the NFL Draft. Like with other selections that the team has made in recent memory, some would even say the most recent one, it was a pick that was met with some immediate consternation.

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To his and the team’s credit though, Tyler Smith has turned into one of the better interior offensive linemen in the NFL. What’s more is that with Zack Martin and Tyron Smith now officially gone and retired, Smith is the future of the group from a leadership standpoint. It made 100% sense for the Cowboys to exercise his fifth-year option so this isn’t really a surprise.

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Exercising Smith’s fifth-year option ties him to the Cowboys (from a contractual standpoint) through the 2026 season at least, but it would behoove the Cowboys to get ahead on things (relatively speaking) and broker an extension with him to avoid any kind of difficulties down the road. Where and when have we seen those words before?

Dynamic black and white image capturing cowboys and a bull at a rodeo event.
Photo: Anya Juárez Tenorio / Pexels

Whatever the case, what was beyond predictable is now official.

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We will see if Dallas does anything further with Smith in the near future.

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AdvertisementDon't Outlive Your Benefits — Long-Term Care insurance with unlimited LTC funds for as long as you live. Call 1-800-317-0625
AdvertisementDon't Outlive Your Benefits — Long-Term Care insurance with unlimited LTC funds for as long as you live. Call 1-800-317-0625