Thirty teams’ worth of players, coaches, and staff will have their eyes turned toward Tampa this weekend, watching the last two squads compete for the Lombardi Trophy they all started off chasing. For everyone but the Chiefs and Buccaneers, the chase for next year’s championship has already begun.
While actual practices and official work sessions won’t get underway for some time, it’s often those first offseason moves, those still-fresh reflections on the season gone by, those early conversations between new coaches and players that lay the foundation for whatever successes are to come in the next year.
Cowboys linebacker Jaylon Smith has already started the wheels turning about the 2021 season in Dallas.
Speaking this week with NFL Network, the 2019 Pro Bowler says he’s especially looking forward to getting back to work with new defensive coordinator Dan Quinn.
“I actually talked to Dan last week,” Smith revealed. “We got a chance to chop it up for a while, just talking about what we’re trying to accomplish and what’s in store. I’m excited to get after it, man. He’s a guy around the league that everyone loves, very energetic, he’s proven that he can win. And he’s going to get some guys that are locked in and ready to bounce back.”
Goodness knows the Cowboys have plenty to bounce back from, after a 6-10 season that most fans would prefer to wipe clean from the memory banks.
“So many things we endured,” Smith recalled, “from the injuries, to losing our quarterback, new system, not having an opportunity to really learn it fully right away; we learned as we went, the death of our brother Markus Paul- rest in peace- you name it. But when you put those pads on and you line up, it’s about 11-on-11. And we didn’t do a good enough job of executing and playing together. A bunch of highly talented individuals coming together but not being on the same page, not understanding initially what we’re supposed to do and how to do it the right way. You lose your confidence. And for us, we had to battle. And that’s why, around the end of the season, getting a chance to turn it around and just do better, it gives us momentum going into this next season. We’re hungry, we’re motivated.”
Watching two other teams- who themselves had their own challenges and obstacles to overcome in 2020- duke it out for the sport’s ultimate victory will just add more fuel to that fire.
“Looking forward to watching this game on Sunday, which will be a heck of a game. And we envision ourselves there. That’s where we want to be.”
Smith is the Cowboys’ nominee for this season’s Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award. The winner of the prestigious honor will be announced Saturday night during NFL Honors.
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