With that, it seems guard is the spot that Smith wants to be at long term, although he also said following the game on Sunday he would do what’s best for the team. His track record backs up his ability at the position, as he was named to this third straight Pro Bowl, at guard, on Tuesday as well.
If moving Smith to left tackle is a decision that Schottenheimer and the Cowboys want to make permanent, Smith would prefer to know “as soon as possible,” in order to prepare.
“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. I’m playing tackle, so it is what it is,” Smith said. “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.”
What makes Smith better on the interior of the offensive line, in his eyes?
“I’m a strong guy. Obviously, I think I’m strong, I feel like a lot of the strengths that I have as a player are very good for me at the guard position,” Smith said. “And then I think I’ve had great vets around me at the guard and tackle position, and I think that’s really helped me be successful at both. I really just think my strength and a variety of other things help me when I’m inside.”
With Smith having begun practicing at tackle more in the last two weeks, it’s been about getting back into the swing of things, as he’s played the position before for the Cowboys and did so in his entire collegiate career at Tulsa.
“It’s been a while, but it’s familiar territory for sure,” Smith said. “The biggest things for me are the technical aspects of it. Even this week, it’s an away game, so we might have some cadence variations and things of that nature. That’s just something that is a little bit different at tackle whereas at guard, I’m right next to the person who is responsible for that cadence. I move out a little further, it’s a little different. So just being on the nuances and things is important.”
Smith joined elite company by earning another Pro Bowl nomination on Tuesday, becoming the third guard in franchise history to make three Pro Bowls in their first four NFL season alongside Zack Martin and Larry Allen. It was rewarding to be named to the roster again, despite the difficulties of the season.
“It’s definitely been a difficult year, one of the most difficult I can really remember,” Smith said. “But It does feel good to at least get that recognition from my peers, the respect that comes with that. It’s huge for me, for sure.”
What makes the 2025 season difficult for Smith, and the Cowboys who have now gone 30 years without a Super Bowl, is the hunger for winning. Smith is tired of coming up short, and the sense of urgency around himself and the team is growing.
“Maybe it’s a little bit selfish, a little bit more personal, I’ve never won a championship in anything. I haven’t won a championship in high school, not college, and so every year I come out here, I put in work, it’s to be a champion.” Smith said.
“You can nix the last 30 years… winning is about what’s important now. I want to win now… it’s not just about me, it’s not just about one person, it was ultimately about us as a team. I think our sense of urgency is extreme, it’s like right now bro. You can’t play football forever, you only get so many bites at the apple, so I think we need to win now.”
