Tyler Smith, Cowboys Reportedly Agree to Contract as Highest-Paid Guard in NFL History

The Dallas Cowboys took an important step toward securing the interior of their offensive line for the foreseeable future on Saturday.

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, guard Tyler Smith and the Cowboys agreed to terms on a four-year, $96 million contract that will make him the highest-paid guard in league history based on average annual value ($24 million).

Smith's deal includes $81.2 million guaranteed.

Saturday's news comes after the Cowboys exercised the fifth-year option on Smith's contract in April.

That move meant he was under contract through the 2026 campaign on a rookie deal that paid him $2.5 million in base salary in 2025 and then $21.3 million on the option in 2026. While the option represented a significant jump in salary, he was surely looking for the long-term certainty that comes with an extension as well.

And he got just that with this deal.

ESPN's Todd Archer surmised ahead of the start of training camp for the 2025 season that Dallas may look to sign Smith to a long-term deal as the leader of the offensive line following Zack Martin's retirement.

"Smith is everything the Cowboys want in a lineman," Archer wrote. "He is tough, smart, strong, just 24 years old, and he grew up not far from The Star. It will be a pretty penny, likely something along the lines of becoming the highest-paid guard in the NFL."

The Kansas City Chiefs made Trey Smith the highest-paid guard in NFL history with a four-year deal worth $94 million ahead of the 2025 campaign, which surely came up in negotiations between Tyler Smith and the Cowboys.

Dallas selected Smith with the No. 24 overall pick of the 2022 NFL draft, and he started his career at left tackle. However, he struggled some as a rookie and moved to offensive guard in a decision that has proven fruitful.

He was a Pro Bowler and Second-Team All-Pro selection in 2023 and then made the Pro Bowl again during the 2024 campaign. 

Pro Football Focus gave Smith an overall player grade of 75 in 2024, which was 22nd among 136 guards. That he is just 24 years old suggests he may get even better with more experience, which is exactly what the Cowboys are looking for with this extension.

In a perfect world for Dallas, Smith and Tyler Booker—who was the No. 12 overall pick of the 2025 NFL draft—will anchor a dominant interior offensive line for years to come.