Cowboys lock up Tyler Smith with four-year, $96 million extension; becomes highest-paid guard

Tyler Smith signed a four-year, $96 million contract extension with the Dallas Cowboys on Friday, making him the highest-paid guard in NFL history, according to multiple reports. NFL Network reported the deal includes $81.2 million in guaranteed money.

A first-round pick out of Tulsa in the 2021 draft, Smith, 24, has developed into a cornerstone of the Cowboys’ offensive line and is a two-time Pro Bowler (2023, 2024). Last season Pro Football Focus credited him with a 76.0 pass-blocking grade, ranking him 22nd among 136 guards.

The extension follows a busy offseason of roster moves by the Cowboys. Days before Week 1, Dallas traded All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers for two first-round picks and defensive tackle Kenny Clark. The team later agreed to a four-year, $92 million extension with cornerback DaRon Bland and gave fullback Hunter Luepke a two-year deal that can pay up to $7.5 million.

Owner Jerry Jones defended the Parsons trade in a radio interview with 105.3 The Fan, describing the move as a conscious allocation of resources. "I see an allocation. I see more of an allocation here," Jones said. "As opposed to Herschel Walker, which was to basically get draft picks and was basically a recognition that we would compete on another day, this was not that. This was a very conscious trade to get three, four, five, six players for one."

Smith’s contract surpasses the four-year, $94 million deal signed earlier this summer by Chiefs guard Trey Smith, elevating the market for interior offensive linemen. The investment underscores Dallas’ emphasis on protecting its quarterback and maintaining a dominant rushing attack by locking in a young starter who has been a fixture in the trenches since being selected in the first round.

Smith has started consistently for the Cowboys and earned Pro Bowl selections in consecutive seasons, milestones that factored into the team’s decision to extend him. The guarantee in his new deal provides financial security unusual for the position and signals the club’s commitment to keeping its core offensive players on multi-year contracts.

The Cowboys opened the season amid heightened scrutiny after the Parsons trade, and the extension of Smith comes as the team attempts to balance immediate competitiveness with longer-term roster construction. Front-office moves this offseason combined multiple veteran extensions with draft capital acquired in the Parsons trade, a strategy Jones characterized as reallocating resources to add depth across several positions.

Smith’s deal is effective immediately and will keep him under contract through the 2029 season. The Cowboys did not release a formal statement detailing additional contract structure or cap implications Friday. Representatives for Smith and the Cowboys did not immediately respond to requests for comment.