Tyron Smith explaining decision to join Jets is another gut punch to Cowboys fans

Even though it felt likely that veteran offensive tackle Tyron Smith was going to leave Arlington and the Dallas Cowboys this offseason, that doesn't mean the news didn't sting when it dropped. As you all know by now, Smith, a beast on the outside of the line, will be playing 2024 with the Jets.

It turns out Smith was pretty torn on his decision, but in the end, he knew in his heart that making the move to East Rutherford to play with Gang Green was the best call for his career. He made that much clear in a recent interview. This no doubt is a tough pill to swallow for the Dallas faithful:

Tyron Smith was torn between signing with the Cowboys and Jets

There's a lot to chew on here, but at the top of the list has to be what Smith meant when he said, "and with the ways things were looking for Dallas, I knew it was most likely going to the Jets." Smith is excited for his next stop, but does he think the future isn't bright for Dallas? With the Cowboys not being aggressive in free agency, it appears to have made a negative impact on Smith.

Keep in mind too that the 2023 season could not have ended worse for America's Team, as they took on the Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card Round and were completely dominated from start to finish. It was a shocking display and yet another postseason letdown for the NFC East side.

This was the year that the Cowboys were supposed to, finally, get back to the Super Bowl. Instead, an early playoff exit was posted and we've seen multiple players sign with new teams, including Smith with New York and stud running back Tony Pollard with Tennessee.

Smith is the biggest blow, however, as he recently finished his 13th campaign with the organization. This was featured by 161 starts, two First-Team All-Pro honors and eight Pro Bowl nods. He's been one of the best tackles in the game for a long time, so his exit is of course going to be brutal for the Dallas offense.

The fact that Smith was torn and ended up bolting to protect Aaron Rodgers is going to hurt for quite some time. This news had to be rough for Dak Prescott, too, as someone else will be in charge of protecting No. 4's blindside. Letting Smith suit up elsewhere is disappointing and this could be something we look back on as a major regret for Jerry Jones.

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