The 3 Simple Reasons For 'Delay' In Aldon Smith's Cowboys Reinstatement

Much Has Been Made About The NFL 'Delay' In Aldon Smith's Dallas Cowboys Reinstatement. But There Are 3 Simple Reasons For It

FRISCO - It is being written that the Dallas Cowboys "would like an answer'' on the reinstatement status of Aldon Smith ... along with the suggestion from some that a "delay'' is due to some NFL commissioner's office bias against the Cowboys.

Sorry, conspiracy theorists. But the truth is much more simple than all of that.

"Our league, with the infrastructure they have in place, will evaluate that and let us know where they stand at some point in time,'' Cowboys COO Stephen Jones recently told 105.3 The Fan. "We understand that it’s not the Cowboys timing. It’s (on) the NFL office ... After they finish evaluating (applications for reinstatement) and the work that (suspended players have) put in to get better off the field, that they’ll let them know as well as us know if and when they’re going to be reinstated.”

The Cowboys have two of these cases in Aldon Smith and fellow D-lineman Randy Gregory. But the league isn't "stringing out'' the Cowboys or punishing the players. Amid reports of "delays,'' it's truly about three things:

1) It cannot be called a "delay'' when by rule NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has a 60-day window in which to rule.

2) We don't know exactly on what date each player applied and therefore we don't know exactly when the 60-day clock even began. (Indeed, Cowboys Nation will recall our exclusive looks in the past at Gregory's attempts for reinstatement, one that caused great consternation among Cowboys followers until we revealed that he never applied for reinstatement at all.)

3) Given the issues that have been and continue to be on the NFL's front burner - the ratification of the new CBA, this week's NFL Draft and the efforts to somehow conduct business in a COVID-19 time - it's easy to understand why the wishes of an individual player get nudged to the back burner.

Indeed, one would think that Goodell, Smith and Gregory would enjoy the benefits of face-to-face meetings as part of the reinstatement process - the sort of meetings that are unwise at this moment.

“You certainly want to give them every opportunity to have success with their battles off the field and that they ultimately get to a good spot when they’re ready to take the next step and play football again,'' Stephen Jones said, acknowledging that "sooner'' would be "better'' while also fully acknowledging the league's rightful priorities at this moment.