Tyron Smith Reported Contract Details Prove Patriots Should’ve Made Deal

Tyron Smith signing with the New York Jets served as the icing on the frustration cake for some New England Patriots fans.

The Patriots, much like the Jets, badly need help on their offensive line. And the 33-year-old Smith was widely viewed as the top offensive tackle available after being named a second team All-Pro for the Dallas Cowboys in 2023.

Chances are Patriots fans who wanted Smith won’t feel any better after seeing the terms he agreed to with the Jets. The intricacies paint a different picture than the one-year agreement with a maximum value of $20 million, which many football fans initially saw on social media. They show Gang Green covered its bases with the injury-plagued Smith.

According to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, Smith’s contract is for one year with $6.5 million fully guaranteed. Smith has $13.5 million tied to incentives, including $12 million based on playing time.

The playing time incentives are broken into two tiers. If Smith plays 38% of snaps, he’ll earn an additional $750,000. It goes up from there. If he plays 68% of snaps, he’ll earn $5.75 million in incentives and reach the ceiling of the first tier. Then, if Smith plays more than 68% of snaps, the second tier will kick in and give him anywhere from $7 million (74% of snaps) to $12 million (98% of snaps).

Smith will earn another $500,000 if he makes the Pro Bowl and $250,000 for each playoff win by the Jets.

Breer provided a full breakdown here.

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So to summarize, the only way the Patriots would have paid Smith the $20 million maximum value would be if Smith had a Pro Bowl season, played 98% of offensive snaps and New England won the Super Bowl.

Owner Robert Kraft and Patriots fans would sign up for that in a heartbeat. But to call it far-fetched is an understatement.

It is a good deal for the Jets, who have Super Bowl aspirations with Aaron Rodgers returning. It would have been a good deal for the Patriots, despite the fact they don’t.

New England has a massive hole on the left side and is flush with cap space. The Patriots should have been in on him. Smith would have addressed one of their greatest needs and did so on a one-year deal with no long-term commitment. New England then could have used one of their draft picks to land his eventual replacement, but not had to stress about it like they do now. The Patriots have put themselves in a position with three glaring needs entering the draft — quarterback, offensive tackle and receiver — and three picks in the first three rounds.

When it first was reported Smith would leave the Cowboys after eight Pro Bowl honors in 13 seasons, many thought the Patriots should pursue him while others thought they should proceed with caution. It wouldn’t have been wise to throw a three-year deal and a boatload of guaranteed money at Smith given he hasn’t played a full season since 2015. If that’s what he received from the Jets, this would have have been easier to overlook.

That’s not the case, though. The reported contract details all but prove it.

They also prove the Patriots should have tried to make the same deal.