Jerry Jones is no stranger to drama, and when you hear "Dallas Cowboys" and "leak" in the same sentence during NFL Draft week, it's usually something that has Cowboys fans banging their heads against a table.
This one is a lot less stressful, however. The Cowboys have reportedly made their decision on the 5th-year option on Tyler Smith's contract, and while picking up the option was always the obvious move, nothing ever feels certain while Jones is calling the shots in Dallas.
Cowboys plan on picking up 5th year option for Tyler Smith. No surprise here. https://t.co/26GUwBR7s1
— Calvin Watkins (@calvinwatkins) April 21, 2025
Cowboys Rumors Leak Tyler Smith 5th-Year Contract Option Decision Ahead of NFL Draft
Calvin Watkins of dallasnews.com has reported that the Cowboys will pick up the 5th-year option on Tyler Smith's rookie contract. This will keep Smith under contract through the end of the 2026 season.
Theoretically, this gives the Cowboys plenty of time to negotiate an extension with the 24-year-old two-time Pro Bowler. But unfortunately that hasn't been how they've operated lately.
Even Smith's versatility and elite play don't seem like they'll get him any sort of special treatment. He's amazing, but he's not necessarily Micah Parsons or CeeDee Lamb-level amazing.
If the past few years are any indication, Jones' plan is to now ignore the Smith situation until the team loses all leverage in negotiations and his asking price climbs while other top linemen around the league all get new extensions and drive up the market value.
But hey, the Dallas front office will give fans plenty of reasons to be upset between now and September. So until the NFL Draft arrives and they really have a chance to ruin our week on Thursday, let's just celebrate the Cowboys making the right decision on Smith, no matter how obvious.