Tyron Smith was supposed to be the same kind of Pro Bowl left tackle he was with the Dallas Cowboys when the New York Jets signed him to a free agent deal last season.
Smith ended up being one of the worst free agent signings of the era for New York instead.
The All-Pro played in just 10 games for New York last season and struggled mightily when he was healthy enough to play. Now that Smith has officially retired with his announcement in Dallas Tuesday, it’s time to take a look at just how bad the Jets whiffed on his signing.
Tyron Smith’s Contract Blows Up in Jets’ Face
Let’s start this off by saying Smith had a Hall-of-Fame career and that won’t be changed based on one bad season with the Jets. His work in Dallas made him one of the best left tackles in the sport.
It’s why the Jets signed him to a one-year deal last year. They wanted to see if they could get the last ounce of good football out of him.
It just never ended up happening. Now, the final tallies just look bad for the organization and the previous regime.
ESPN’s Rich Cimini broke the full numbers down on just how bad New York whiffed on Smith last season.
New York ended up paying over $9 million to Smith to start 10 games, with $2.75 million added in incentives. Making matters worse is the $6 million dead cap charge that the Jets are forking over to Smith to not play for the team in 2025.
Dead cap charges are not unique. New York is forking over $50 million in dead cap charges this season alone, headlined by departures like Aaron Rodgers, Davante Adams, and Tyler Conklin. As things stand, Smith’s $6 million charge will be third on the team according to Spotrac.
This isn’t to say Smith’s career will be looked on as a failure due to his struggles in New York. He is going to have his day in the sun and retire as an all-time player for the Cowboys.
It’s an ugly reminder, though, of just how bad the Jets struggled in 2024 and how the new organization is having to foot the bill because of those mistakes. At the very least, this won’t hurt their long-term future after this year.
