NFL Rumors: Tyron Smith 'Unlikely' to Return to Cowboys in 2024 Free Agency

Tyron Smith's career with the Dallas Cowboys appears to be coming to an end after 13 seasons.

Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Smith is "unlikely" to return to the Cowboys when free agency begins is expected to be "highly coveted" by teams looking for help at offensive tackle.

New of Smith's potential departure from the Cowboys comes after the club was set to meet with his representatives on Friday at the NFL scouting combine.

B/R's NFL scouting department is projecting the Cowboys to select Oklahoma tackle Tyler Guyton with the No. 24 pick in its most recent mock draft.

The Cowboys are in a bit of a salary-cap bind right now. They are currently $4 million over the cap, though there are certain levers available to them that will free up money.

Dak Prescott's $59.5 million cap hit for next season could be lowered if he signs an extension. They can also restructure his current deal to free as much as $18.5 million. CeeDee Lamb's $17.99 million salary next season in the final year of his rookie deal is fully guaranteed, but that cap number could be brought down if he signs an extension this offseason.

Despite having multiple options to free up money, Smith does have a lot of question marks at this stage of his career that might make it easier for the Cowboys to look elsewhere for a new starting left tackle.

Durability has been a problem for Smith for many years. He has missed at least three games every season since 2016, including 14 in 2020 and 13 in 2022.

Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News reported last week that Smith wasn't retiring and wanted to return to the Cowboys in 2024.

Spotrac's calculated market value projects Smith to land a one-year deal worth $7.5 million.

Smith has been a stalwart on the Cowboys offensive line since he was drafted with the ninth overall pick out of USC in 2011. He has started all 161 games played over the past 13 seasons, with eight Pro Bowl selections and five All-Pro selections.