It doesn't sound like Tyler Smith is fond of being the Dallas Cowboys' permanent starting left tackle in the future.
All-Pro left guard Tyler Smith will play his third game as Dak Prescott's blindside tackle in the Dallas Cowboys' season finale on Sunday at the New York Giants.
But Smith's recent comments suggest that he wishes this is the last time he lines up on the outside going forward.
Due to Tyler Guyton's lingering ankle issue that has kept him on injured reserve for the final chunk of the season, Smith has had to fill in at a new role being the Cowboys' most versatile lineman. The substitute work of backup Nate Thomas left a ton to be desired, so T.J. Bass has slid in at guard while Smith has covered things up at tackle.
The Pro-Bowler has been fine in handling these new duties, but despite that, he knows where his true potential resides.
"I'm an All-Pro guard, bro. That's the simple truth if we're just looking at stuff purely off facts," Smith said before Dallas' win in Week 17 over the Washington Commanders. "So we'll see what happens, we'll have those conversations when we have those conversations and kind of see where everybody's head is at."
The decision for head coach Brian Schottenheimer and coordinator Klayton Adams to shift Smith to an unfamiliar spot wasn't based on any specific idea outside of necessity due to Guyton's injury and the lack of confidence in Thomas. How much of that has been communicated to the players on the field, however, is unknown.
There appears to be frustration from Smith as he'd more prefer to stick where he's gotten the most offseason work and NFL experience.
"My mindset is going to be the same. This offseason, I was for sure I'd be playing guard, so I trained like a guard. [Now] I'm playing tackle, so it is what it is," Smith said.
And about the idea of him moving their on a more full-time basis?
"We'll have those conversations when we have those conversations, I'm really not letting my mind get too far ahead of that. I know this is something we're doing for the rest of the season, and in my mind, that's just what it is: for the rest of the season."
This offseason, Smith signed a four-year, $96 million contract extension to make him a top-10 lineman in the NFL by average earnings per year.
He's the highest-paid guard in football, but if he were to move to tackle permanently, that wouldn't be the story.
The top-end tackle market (which Smith hardly belongs in performance-wise) pays upwards of $28 million annually. So, at the least, Smith would be demanding a restructured contract seeking more money for his new role if he's the go-to starter at LT. And Dallas attempting to move Smith there after signing him to a premium guard salary would likely result in CBA-based violations of some sort, anyway.
Meanwhile, Smith - along with many in Cowboys Nation - would like to know what the plan is at left tackle beyond this season. The star lineman's frustration's have only grown with Schottenheimer's apparent "lack of clarity" about how he fits into the future equation.
“It would just be good to have clarity as to what their mindset is and what their vision is for our room and as a position group," he said.
"Ultimately, the best thing I can do right now is finish out the right way and dominate whatever position I line up on Sunday and I understand that. I’m sure we’ll have conversations in the future.”
The uncertainty now resides in how much the Cowboys will weigh this left tackle dilemma with larger holes on the roster, such as a handful of spots on Dallas' treacherous defense. Owner Jerry Jones & Co. own two first-round picks in this spring's draft, but many expect them both to be reserved for defensive players of any variety.
Ironically, the Cowboys' last handful of first-rounders have been investments on the offensive line, including right guard Tyler Booker, Guyton, and Smith in three of the last four drafts.
It wouldn't be the worst idea for Jones to look at O-linemen again in 2026, but over-doing one philosophy in this way might only add to these disgruntlements as the picks fail to pan out when gaping voids still reside elsewhere.
Thankfully Smith's draft in 2022 was a valuable one that expects to pay off even more than it already has - wherever he lines up.
Just expect him to be mostly at left guard when next season rolls around.