Sad Departure: I won’t play again I am leaving for good………

Tyron Smith anticipated to leave the Cowboys for the Jets.

Tyron Smith and the Dallas Cowboys have come to the end of an era. The two sides spoke at the 2024 NFL Combine ahead of Smith’s free agency, but no contract was reached, so the 33-year-old elected to test the market, and he is now set to join the New York Jets next season, according to various publications, including NFL.com.

According to reports, the contract is for one year and is for up to $20 million.

Only one day before, Stephen Jones, executive vice president and head of player personnel, stated that the Cowboys were still highly interested in keeping the eight-time Pro Bowl left tackle in Dallas for the foreseeable future.

“The door is open,” Jones stated. “Tyron Smith is going to be a Hall of Fame football player.” He’s had a fantastic career, and we’re not ruling out the possibility of him staying in Dallas. He’s a man’s man and one of the best left tackles to ever play the game. Nobody feels better about Tyron Smith than this group.

“We have nothing but big-time thoughts about Tyron and what he’s all about.”

However, it was not to be, and he will now focus on protecting Aaron Rodgers.

Entering the 2023 season, it appeared Smith was nearing the end of his illustrious career, at least physically. After all, he has struggled each year to stay on the field for the whole regular season, and the emergence of rookie sensation Tyler Smith (and his ability to jump outside to left tackle and still dominate) seems to have cost the elder Smith his spot.

That proved out to be completely false, for while Tyron Smith did miss time in 2023, he played in the majority of the games and looked every bit the perennial All-Pro when he suited up in 13 starts.

A new practice regimen in Dallas, which included not practicing at all, could have extended his career by a few years.

Time will tell if that’s true, but he’s likely going to Canton down the road regardless of what happens next in his career, which has so far encompassed more than 160 starts since 2011.

For the first time in his career, he will wear a uniform without the star on it.