FRISCO, Texas – On Saturday, the Dallas Cowboys agreed to terms to a four-year, $96 million extension with Tyler Smith. The deal made him the highest-paid guard in NFL history.

When head coach Brian Schottenheimer called to congratulate his 24-year-old guard on the milestone, Smith answered the way any head coach would want one of their star players to.

“He goes, ‘Coach, I just want to beat the Giants. Thanks, but I just want to beat the Giants…'” Schottenheimer said. “It’s just the way he is, man. He just loves football and he loves this team, and he loves being a Cowboy.”

After weeks of hinting that a deal was in the works from both Smith and the front office, the two sides finally crossed the finish line less than 24 hours before Dallas’ home opener against New York. The money is great for Smith, but establishing himself as the next in line on the offensive line in Dallas is more important.

“It was a blessing. I was extremely grateful, especially to God, but the organization, my teammates, everybody who helped me along the way,” Smith said. “One thing I just understood is that there’s still work to be done. Ultimately, I think it’s a great step, but there’s still more that I want to do. There’s a legacy that I want to lay the groundwork for.”

Appropriately, Smith pulling and serving as a lead blocker led to the Cowboys scoring both of their rushing touchdowns, one from Javonte Williams and the other from Miles Sanders. Dallas’ offensive line paved the way for 135 yards on the ground in a 40-37 win.

The offensive line has been a massive area of investment for Dallas in recent years. The Cowboys used first round picks on Smith, Tyler Guyton, and most recently Tyler Booker in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Since the beginning, Brian Schottenheimer has wanted to emphasize the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball.

“The best thing you can do for any offensive line, any team offense, when you’re playing elite defensive linemen is pound the frickin football…” Schottenheimer said back at training camp in Oxnard. “And that’s what we’re gonna try to do. We’re going to be physical.”

Physicality is the name of the game for Smith, who has been one of the strongest players on the offensive line across the NFL in recent years. Earlier this week, Dak Prescott described his offensive line as a group of fighters in front of him, and Smith takes pride in that.

“We’ve got to be the most dangerous group on the field at all times,” Smith said before the Giants game. “Especially since if we want to dominate games the way I know that we want to. In order to do that, you have to have that fighter mentality.”

It’s not just recent years that Dallas has invested in their offensive line. You can go all the way back to the 1990s when Larry Allen, Nate Newton and co. were helping pave the way for Super Bowls. In more recent history, Tyron Smith, Travis Frederick and Zack Martin have been among the best at their positions while all working in tandem. Now, the torch has been passed to Smith.

“I think he’s the best guard in football,” Schottenheimer said. “I don’t think I’m overselling him, I really think he is.”