The Dallas Cowboys are going to have their work cut out for them in 2025 as they prepare to rebound from a disastrous 2024 campaign. Getting a healthy Dak Prescott back into the starting lineup coupled with the addition of George Pickens certainly has fans excited for the potential of this team.
However, fans are now seeing a former long-time starter make a comeback into the league.
Breaking: Cowboys’ Former 69-Game Starter Unretires, Joins AFC Rival
Despite being out of the NFL for the 2024 season, Jaylon Smith has found a new home with another old team:
The veteran linebacker was hosted by the Las Vegas Raiders at the team’s rookie minicamp this weekend and is signing with the team, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
“After a weekend tryout, the Raiders are signing former Cowboys and Giants LB Jaylon Smith, per source,” Schefter reports. “Smith now returns to the Raiders, where he played in 2023, his last NFL season.”
Smith last played in 2023, making one appearance for the Raiders in a Week 9 fixture against the New York Giants before being waived.
The 29-year-old spent five seasons with the Cowboys and made the Pro Bowl in 2019 after a campaign in which he recorded 142 tackles, nine pass breakups, and two forced fumbles.
He became a bit of a journeyman after Dallas released him on the back of four games in 2021, joining the Green Bay Packers. The Giants signed him after the Packers cut him two games later.
Here is a look at Smith’s career stats:
| Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Comb | Solo | Ast | Sck | Int | Yds | Avg | TD | PD | FF | FR | TD | ||
| 2017 | DAL | 16 | 6 | 81 | 50 | 31 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | DAL | 16 | 16 | 121 | 82 | 39 | 4.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 2019 | DAL | 16 | 16 | 142 | 83 | 59 | 2.5 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 2020 | DAL | 16 | 16 | 154 | 89 | 65 | 1.5 | 1 | 43 | 43.0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 2021 | DAL | 4 | 2 | 18 | 13 | 5 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| GB | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| NYG | 4 | 2 | 19 | 12 | 7 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2022 | NYG | 13 | 11 | 88 | 46 | 42 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | LV | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 88 | 69 | 626 | 378 | 248 | 11.0 | 2 | 43 | 21.5 | 0 | 21 | 6 | 5 | 1 | |
