Tyler Smith does very little to dispel growing concern about the controversial Dallas Cowboys’ decision

Buckle up. Tyler Smith is going to be a huge storyline for the Dallas Cowboys in the months to come.

Mauricio Rodriguez — Dallas Cowboys News Writer
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After the Dallas Cowboys decided to play Tyler Smith at left tackle in Week 16 and for the remainder of the season, his postgame press conference got some people—myself included—thinking contract drama lied ahead.

After signing a deal that made him the highest-guard in football, switching to tackle—a more lucrative position—would be something that could stir the pot between franchise and the second-team All-Pro lineman. In an interview heading into the Cowboys’ Christmas day game against the Washington Commanders, Smith did very little to dispel such a notion.

Smith doubles down with clear message

Postgame, Smith’s message was a subtle one, mentioning he’s a smart player and that he understood what he was getting paid to do, adding: “I’m going to be smart, we’ll have those conversations when we have those conversations.”

However, leading up to Week 17, his message leaves no room for interpretation.

“I’m an All-Pro guard, bro,” Smith told reporters when asked about potentially staying at left tackle permanently. “You feel me? That’s the simple truth if we’re looking at stuff purely off facts. We’ll see what happens. We’ll have those conversations and kind of see where everybody’s head is at.”

Smith added in his mind, the switch is just for the remainder of the season.

That sounds like someone who prefers sticking at left guard, unless compensation changes. Shortly after his comments, DLLS reporter Clarence Hill Jr. reported that the Smith’s contract with the Cowboys doesn’t have a clause that compensates him for a position switch and that the player is well aware of the financial implications of moving to tackle. The source? Smith’s agency.

Why play Smith at LT now?

The reality is we don’t know for sure what the Cowboys are up to. But the two biggest possible explanations are as follows:

  1. They want to keep Dak Prescott healthy: The Cowboys have made it clear they want to play to win to close out the season despite draft positioning. Prescott himself admitted he would “fight” head coach Brian Schottenheimer if he was asked to sit out the rest of the year. However, the Cowboys’ pass protection has been mediocre at best on the edges. Moving Smith to tackle gives the team some extra comfort putting No. 4 out there and risking his health for two more games.
  2. They want to solve the OT problem: On a related note, OT is one of the biggest team needs going into 2026. Right tackle Terence Steele is a prime cap casualty candidate and the jury is still out on starting left tackle Tyler Guyton, who is banged up. With so many needs to take care on on defense, does Dallas see a path where Smith stays at LT, Guyton moves to RT (his college position)? That would allow the front office to use two first-round picks on a desperate defense.

Again, we don’t know. But if we were able to listen in on team meetings, I bet there’s a little bit of each explanation going around at The Star.

OL expert has a warning

Duke Manyweather remains one of the top experts in offensive line play in the world, working with many of the top offensive linemen in the NFL, Tyler Smith included. His take? Keep Smith at guard.

“He’s better at OG and it’s not even close,” Manyweather wrote on X. “People romanticize (Smith) being a LT, he survives there, he doesn’t thrive.”

In a separate post, he added Smith’s “super powers’ & the tools in his toolbox that help him excel at OG would be taken away at LT and get him in trouble, which it does/has when he’s on the edge.”

Future is exciting

Regardless of what happens, you just know Smith is already on track to becoming one of the top storylines of the Cowboys’ upcoming offseason. Whether it’s the financial aspect of it, the front office’s approach to team building, or the mere intrigue on what will be his position come the 2026 season, expect to talk a lot about Smith moving forward.

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