Longtime star LT Smith to retire as a Cowboy

FRISCO, Texas -- Nearly two months after Zack Martin retired, another Dallas Cowboys offensive lineman has decided to walk away from the game in eight-time Pro Bowl left tackle Tyron Smith.

Smith will sign a ceremonial deal with the Cowboys on Wednesday in order to retire with the team that took him No. 9 overall in the 2011 draft.

Smith played 12 of his 13 seasons with the Cowboys, ending his career with the New York Jets in 2024. He started all 171 career games he played and was named to the Pro Bowl from 2013-19 and 2021.

It is possible Martin and Smith could be elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame when they are eligible for the first time in 2030.

Smith was a Day 1 starter who quickly established himself as one of the game's best blindside blockers. He began his career by protecting Tony Romo and he ended it with Aaron Rodgers as his quarterback.

In 2011, Smith became the first offensive lineman selected in the first round by the Cowboys since 1981 when they took Howard Richards. In the next three years, the Cowboys selected Pro Bowl center Travis Frederick (2013) and Martin (2014) in the first round, forming one of the best offensive lines in the NFL.

Smith, 34, missed just one game in his first five seasons, but injuries started to take their toll.

He missed games because of knee, neck, back, hamstring and ankle injuries. In 2020, he played in just two games before undergoing neck surgery. He missed 13 games in 2022 with a hamstring avulsion that required surgery during training camp.

After reworking his contract, Smith played in 13 games in 2023 with the Cowboys. He joined the Jets on a one-year deal and started 10 games before ending the year on injured reserve with a neck injury.

At his best, Smith was the prototype left tackle with long arms and athleticism to handle the NFL's best pass rushers. He began his career at right tackle before moving to left tackle in 2012 for good.

Four times in a five-year span, Smith, Frederick and Martin were named to the Pro Bowl together.

Frederick retired after the 2019 season making good on a return after missing the previous season dealing with the effects of Guillaine-Barre Syndrome, an autoimmune disease that impacts the nervous system.

Martin entered 2024 all but knowing it would be his final season. An ankle injury limited him to 10 games and required season-ending surgery.

Only Smith went on to play for another team, but he has retired as a Cowboy and closes the circle on one of the best offensive line trios the Cowboys have ever had.