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FRISCO, Texas – The Dallas Cowboys have released linebacker Jaylon Smith, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The move comes as a surprise since Smith hasn’t missed a game in his career and the Cowboys are required to receive his full base salary of $ 7.2 million. The team had trade talks earlier in the season, sources say, but a deal never came to fruition. By releasing Smith now, the Cowboys are being released from the base salary of $ 9.2 million in 2022 that was currently only guaranteed for injuries.
Owner and general manager Jerry Jones met with Smith on Tuesday to discuss the team’s decision, according to a source.
Smith signed a five-year, $ 64 million extension in 2019 that included $ 35.5 million in guaranteed money. Ahead of the season opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Smith started every game he played from 2018-20 and was named to the Pro Bowl after the 2019 season.
This season, Smith hasn’t started any of the first four games. He was credited with 19 tackles and played in 148 of 264 snaps.
With first-round pick Micah Parsons making a huge impression early on, the Cowboys were comfortable with the move, even with the financial ramifications. Leighton Vander Esch started Sunday’s win over the Carolina Panthers, and they are expected to bring Keanu Neal back from the reserve / COVID-19 roster this week. They also have rookie Jabril Cox and Luke Gifford as linebacker on the active roster.
The Cowboys selected Smith in the second round of the 2016 draft despite a serious knee injury suffered in his last game at Notre Dame that scared many teams. The Cowboys were convinced Smith would return in part because one of their team’s medics, Dr. Daniel Cooper, performed the operation and allayed fears about the ongoing nerve issues.
Smith entered the field in 2017 and started six of 16 games and finished with 99 tackles, one sack, four loss tackles, four quarterback presses, two breakage passes and two forced fumbles. He entered a full-time starting role the following year and recorded at least 150 tackles over the next three seasons.
He had his best year of 2018, which included a fumble return of 69 yards for a touchdown. He recorded 14 tackles in six different games, but his ability to move and cover appeared to be plummeting.
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