Tyron Smith $9 Million Sacrifice: Dallas Cowboys New Contract Details
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FRISCO - As a matter of bookkeeping - but also as a way to giving credit where it is due - let's not confuse what Tyron Smith just did contractually with what has occurred with a handful of his teammates to allow the Dallas Cowboys to become cap-compliant ... and then to do some shopping with their new room.
Through no fault of their own, Dak Prescott, Zack Martin, Michael Gallup and DeMarcus Lawrence are all in the cap-related headlines because of adjustments made in their contracts that have helped Dallas carve out a total of $45 million in offseason cap space ...
And all of that aided Dallas in being able to close deals on a trio of defensive starters, with Leighton Vander Esch and Donovan Wilson returning and with Stephon Gilmore via trade.
But Prescott, Martin, Gallup and Lawrence made no financial "sacrifice'' and indeed, we're even involved in their moves, which were all about simple bookkeeping. Cap money was moved, but those four have the same income as always.
Iconic offensive tackle Tyron Smith agreed to a vastly different sort of deal.
The Cowboys asked Smith - with whom the Joneses have an almost familial relationship - to agree to the restructuring of the his deal so some of the $13.6 million in base salary he is due would not show up in cement on the 2023 cap.
Instead, Smith agreed to transform a significant portion of what was to be his base salary (that he would get no matter what) into incentives (which he will only get if certain parameters are met).
Per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports that Smith's restructured deal features $3 million (guaranteed) in base salary with a $3 million signing bonus.
That means Tyron is making $6 million this year, for certain. That's it.
He can earn back his now-gone money via a play-time incentive (worth up to $9 million) and a playoff incentive (worth up to $2 million).
ESPN offers the incentive breakdown that adds up to the chance to make $17 million ... with a mountain of "if's.'' ...
Play-time is $1 million each for 50%, 55%, 60%, 65%, 70%, 75%, 80%, 85% 90% of snaps.
Incentives including playing 75% of snaps in the regular season plus 51% of the playoff snaps ... and 1 playoff win gets him $500,000, two wins gets him $500,000 more, three wins gets him $500,000 more and a Super Bowl win gets him $500,000 more.
And in the end? The adjustment - the sacrifice - opens up $9.6 million in 2023 cap space for Dallas.
So ... with all due respect to Prescott, Martin, Gallup and Lawrence, Tyron Smith didn't just "joins them in helping the Cowboys cap.''
Tyron Smith is the only one of them who's actually done that.
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