Jets' marquee free-agent signing implies opportunity to win Super Bowl led him to Gang Green
As he was contemplating which team he wanted to play for in 2024, the chance to win a Super Bowl championship was presumably at the top of offensive tackle Tyron Smith’s wish list.
After 13 years of disappointing playoff experiences with the Dallas Cowboys, Smith, an eight-time Pro Bowler, likely believed the New York Jets offered him the best shot at finally getting a ring, which is why he signed a one-year, $6.5 million deal that could be worth up to $20M with incentives to play for them.
“For the way things were looking in Dallas, I knew it was most likely going to be the Jets,” Smith told reporters, per the team's official website. “…I saw what they can do as far as a team. Everybody wants to win, as any other team does, but I just feel like they have all the pieces together right now — the final piece has been this offseason — to produce a team that could go all the way.”
Smith (935 snaps, 21 pressures and three sacks allowed) is a clear upgrade at left tackle over Mekhi Becton (883 snaps, 50 pressures and 12 sacks allowed), as is Morgan Moses (890 snaps, 26 pressures and six sacks allowed) over the five-man platoon (1,099 snaps, 80 pressures and 17 sacks allowed) the Jets had at right tackle in 2023.
In addition to the 33-year-old Smith, the Jets added several other players to fill some of the team’s top areas of need.
The Jets bolstered their offensive line in signing guard John Simpson and trading for offensive tackle Morgan Moses from the Baltimore Ravens. Tyrod Taylor was signed to back up Aaron Rodgers, who missed all of last season with a ruptured Achilles, and the Jets signed former first-round pick Mike Williams to bolster their receiver room.
But perhaps more important than any other offseason move the Jets have made, having a healthy Rodgers for the duration of the 2024 season may be the team’s most important addition.
“I've played against Aaron throughout my career a couple times,” Smith said. “I know what kind of quarterback he is, I know what he can do if you just give him a little bit of time. I'm just here to do our best and give him that time.”
More must-reads: