As unserious as he is about winning, Jerry Jones has a reputation for developing close relationships with his players. Jones is extremely tight with all of his players and the Dallas Cowboys' biggest stars are no exception.
Therefore, it was no surprise that Jones paid an emotional tribute to Tyron Smith at his retirement press conference on Wednesday in which he proclaimed Smith a future Hall of Famer.
Jones said he wants to be the first one to shake Smith's hand when he enters Canton. He even laments never winning a Super Bowl during Smith's 13-years in Dallas, which would have cemented his status as one of the best left tackles in NFL history.
Despite Wednesday's emotional ordeal, Jones quickly turned the page on Smith's career when he assigned his No. 77 jersey to free agent signing Saahdiq Charles, who recently unretired after walking away from the game at 25 years old.
That decision did not sit well with former Cowboys star Jourdan Lewis.
Jourdan Lewis reacts to the Cowboys' blatant Tyron Smith disrespect
Just like that, huh. https://t.co/9scSifZYgO
— Jourdan Lewis (@JourdanJD) April 18, 2025
Lewis is speaking on behalf of the Cowboys fans base.
It would not have been a problem if Smith's No. 77 was assigned to another player ... if he didn't announce his retirement 24 hours early. The ink on his one-year contract to retire with Dallas was hardly dry before Jones assigned his number to a veteran OL who will have to perform well throughout the offseason program to just make the 53-man roster.
Smith's number should have been off the table for at least one week after he announced his retirement. That would have allowed emotions to settle and interest to flame out. The uproar and outrage wouldn't be nearly as significant.
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Team's hand out former player jerseys all the time; even those of former great players. The issue isn't that Smith's No. 77 was assigned to another player.
The Cowboys do not retire jersey numbers. The issue is that the move came no more than 24 hours after Smith's retirement presser at Cowboys headquarters at The Star in Frisco, where loved ones and former teammates and coaches gathered to celebrate his outstanding career.
It is a sad encapsulation of Jones' lack of self awareness that he didn't allow any time to lapse after Smith's announcement. And it speaks volumes that a man of few words like Lewis, who doesn't even play for the team anymore, called out the decision.