FRISCO, Texas – With Zack Martin and Tyron Smith calling it a career just weeks apart, another chapter in the Cowboys' book of offensive line success has come to a close.
The story is far from over, however, as Martin and Smith both recognized Tyler Smith as the author of the next chapter on the front lines for Dallas.
"Tyler Smith, my new right-hand man who I know will go down as one of the greatest." Tyron Smith said when thanking teammates at his retirement press conference on Wednesday.
The trio only shared the field together for two seasons in 2022 and 2023, but that was more than enough for Tyler Smith to leave a noticeable impression on his predecessors, and make them feel confident about handing him the torch as they move on to the next chapters of their lives.
"I feel like Tyler came in and set the standard that he wants to be great when he first got here, and he has," Tyron Smith said. "Just increasing potential every year, and it's just his work ethic and what he puts into this game and how dominant is on the field.
"It just shows every year that he is getting better. He has potential to be one of the greats, and I just can't wait to see that show."
From the jump when the Cowboys selected Tyler Smith in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, Martin knew that there was something special about Smith's abilities on the field.
"I think his first year when he played tackle, you could see kind of uncommon traits that he had," Martin said. "But in that second year when he kicked to guard, he was very dominant. It was like, 'OK, this guy's going to be really good for a long time.'"
Tyler Smith is only three years into his NFL career and has already been named to two Pro Bowl teams. From Martin's perspective, he's only scratching the surface of his potential.
"He's got freaky ability, and he's a dominant player," Martin said. "Obviously, he's got to continue to keep developing, but if he continues to work the way he's worked since he's been here, I don't see that being a problem. I just see him getting better and better every single year."
Without question, Smith is fully on board with being the man to carry on the legacies of Tyron Smith, Martin and the many that came before them.
"In my mind, I think it just starts with maintaining that standard," Tyler Smith said back in January. "When I got here, from the film room to walkthroughs, I've seen how Tyron [Smith] and Zack practice, I've seen how they study."
"I have thought about how I can be the best leader I can be; how can I continue to improve the standard that they've set before me; it is something that I take to heart every day."
