Words you never thought you would hear from Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.
The longtime NFL icon had a very blunt reaction to Tyron Smith signing a contract with the New York Jets in free agency: “We can’t afford that.”
“You know how highly he’s thought by us,” Jones told Jori Epstein of Yahoo Sports. “[If] he makes all of his incentives & things like that, we would be really wrecked.”
Jerry Jones on Tyron Smith leaving Cowboys for Jets: "You know how highly he's thought by us. (But) we can't afford that. He makes all of his incentives & things like that, we would be really wrecked."
Jerry compared pain of Tyron leaving to pain of DeMarcus Ware leaving Cowboys
— Jori Epstein (@JoriEpstein) March 25, 2024
The eight-time Pro Bowler signed a one-year deal with only $6.5 million in true guarantees. However, he can make an additional $13.5 million if he hits all of the incentives.
If Smith reaches a ninth Pro Bowl he will earn half a million. For every Jets’ playoff win, he earns a quarter of a million with a capped-off ceiling of $1 million, per Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team.
The most important incentives are tied to playing time. He has to play in at least 38% of the offensive snaps to trigger the first incentive, but it escalates from there.
Tyron Smith’s contract with the #Jets: 1-year deal worth $6.5M (all guaranteed).
Incentives:
– Pro Bowl: $500K
– $250K for each Jets' playoff win. ($1M max)Rolling incentives:
– 38% snaps: $750K
– 44% snaps: another $1M
– 50% snaps: another $1M
– 56% snaps: another… pic.twitter.com/J0RK1SzOaH— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) March 19, 2024
Jerry Jones’ Comments About Tyron Smith Are Startling
The Cowboys are the most valued sports franchise on planet Earth with a $9 billion with a B evaluation, per Forbes.
According to the Pro Football Network, Jones himself has a net worth of $13.6 billion. That is good enough to rank No. 5 among the richest owners in the NFL.
For context, Jets owner Woody Johnson is ranked No. 9 on that same list with a net worth of $10.7 billion.
The green and white out-bidding the Cowboys on any free agent would be eyebrow-raising. Let alone for one of the stalwart Cowboys of the 21st century.
Smith is one of the best left tackles to ever play the game of football. He is one of the most decorated active players in the NFL with eight Pro Bowl nominations and five different All-Pro nods (combining first and second-team honors).
Interestingly Connor Hughes of SNY said on social media that the Jets “felt like they were writing a contract for the Cowboys to match” during the contract negotiations with Smith. “Everyone was stunned when he accepted. They never thought he would,” Hughes explained.
They didn’t bid against themselves. They refuse to get played like that now — why Douglas is so set on his numbers. No Jets tax.
They felt they were writing a contract for the Cowboys to match. That’s why it’s structured the way it is — Joe wasn’t going to do someone else’s… https://t.co/PQQxOiwp5i
— Connor Hughes (@Connor_J_Hughes) March 21, 2024
Overall Reaction to Tyron Smith Signing Jets Contract in Free Agency
When it was reported that Smith agreed to a one-year deal with a maximum value of $20 million, a lot of people overreacted.
The initial response was woah the Jets overpaid to get the guy they wanted. However, when you take a fine-toothed comb through the deal, it was actually a great contract.
One Jets fan responded on X (previously Twitter), “Yea he can happily take the $20M if he’s playing 98% of [the] snaps lol.” The green and white feel the same way.
Yea he can happily take the $20M if he’s playing 98% of snaps lol https://t.co/KRdKgqyYgB
— Blake (@blakenyjets) March 19, 2024
If he reaches all of his contract incentives, the Jets will happily slide a blank check across the table. It was basically the same feeling as the Aaron Rodgers trade.
Part of that deal included a conditional 2024 second-round pick that could become a first-round draft choice if Rodgers met the playing incentives. New York would have happily sent over its first-rounder in 2024 if Rodgers played in at least 65% of the offensive snaps.
That would mean that the team would have gotten Rodgers for over half of the season and that likely would have equated to success on the field.
Another person responded on social media saying, “Joe Douglas masterclass” in response to this contract structure.
If it doesn’t work out, the Jets just blew $6.5 million. They have done far worse than that in free agency in the past. However, if it works out, then the Jets just landed one of the best offensive linemen in the NFL to protect Rodgers in an all-in season.
