The Dallas Cowboys failed to make the playoffs in 2024, but fourth-year guard Tyler Smith isn’t afraid of setting lofty goals for the 2025 NFL season.
Smith was asked Sunday after the Cowboys arrived in Oxnard, California for training camp what his expectations were for the upcoming campaign.
‘Super Bowl champions,’ Smith replied, per ESPN’s Todd Archer. ‘That’s always the expectation.’
Smith insisted the Cowboys winning a championship for the first time since Super Bowl 30 – which was played in 1996 to put a bow on the 1995 NFL season – is ‘a realistic goal.’ Why?
‘Because we can win a Super Bowl. Why not? Why can’t we win?’ he said. ‘Do you think it’s unrealistic?’
To Smith’s point, the Cowboys made the playoffs in three consecutive seasons before their 7-10 finish last season. They failed to advance past the divisional round in any of those appearances but posted a 12-5 regular-season record each campaign.
Meanwhile, Dallas’ 2024 season was derailed by a midseason five-game losing streak, during which starting quarterback Dak Prescott suffered a season-ending hamstring injury.
Prescott said ahead of training camp he is fully recovered from that injury. His presence should provide the Cowboys with more stability at quarterback after they leaned on Cooper Rush and Trey Lance to close the 2024 campaign.
Smith also believes the additions of wide receiver George Pickens and first-round guard Tyler Booker will bolster an already strong Dallas offense.
‘I think we built a great core on offense; the addition of George and all the other key pieces,’ Smith said. ‘I think drafting Booker, he’s going to be a hell of a guy just to bolster the front line. And we have many guys across the board, but those are some of the guys who are the key pieces on what we do this year.’