Mazi Smith was shipped off from Dallas to New York last season and it seems that the Jets might now be finished with the former first-rounder.
After seeing his time with the Dallas Cowboys draw to a close last season, defensive tackle Mazi Smith may be close to saying goodbye to another team.
The former first-rounder was sent off to the New York Jets in a trade that netted Dallas standout defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, who was a bright side in a historically poor defensive unit.
Following the move, New York has now declined to sign the fifth-year option on Smith's contract, which leaves him with one final season left with the Jets. Although it is a crushing move for Smith, he still has an opportunity to win the team back over next season.
Regardless of how it plays out, the Jets' initial decision is the latest in a string of disappointing updates for the first-round prospect that never quite panned out as he or Dallas hoped.
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As the No. 26-overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft by the Cowboys, the Michigan product has since garnered the reputation of one of, if not, the worst first-round selections in franchise history.
Ahead of his last year with the Cowboys, Bleacher Report's Matt Holder labelled Smith as the "Worst First Round Pick" made by Dallas in the last five drafts. Outside of media notions, Pro Football Focus consistently had Smith rated as one of the worst defensive tackles in the league throughout his time in Dallas.
While it is easy to see why these opinions around Smith, it is disheartening to see his career flounder the way it has.
Smith played in only three games for a total of 54 snaps during his debut season in New York, which raises concerns about how much more time he could see in the upcoming season.
Another potential bad sign for Smith is the Jets selecting a defensive tackle in the fourth-round of the recent NFL Draft in Florida State's Darnell Jackson Jr. The rookie could easily replace Smith in the rotation and leave him with no chance to secure an extension.
Back in Dallas, the decision to move on from Smith continues to pay off, as Williams had a great first season with Dallas and is getting some much-needed help with the Cowboys' rebuilding under first-year defensive coordinator Christian Parker.
These new faces include the latest first-round picks for Dallas in safety Caleb Downs and edge rusher Malachi Lawrence, who look to avoid the same negative reception that Smith received.
For Smith, it is now or never to prove that all of the criticisms from the media and around the league are overblown or he faces the risk of his NFL career coming to an end following this upcoming season.