The Dallas Cowboys decided to move on from defensive end Aldon Smith in free agency but were mum on any of the reasons why. On Monday morning, it became clear that that his off the field issues may still be ongoing when news broke of Smith being wanted in Louisiana on charges of second-degree battery.
There had long been whispers that his road to redemption had hit a speedbump, but there was no hard evidence to support it until now. What seems clear is that Dallas had some reservations about continuing a professional relationship with a player with considerable baggage who was a shell of himself by the end of the 2020 season.
Smith signed with the Seattle Seahawks on April 19, just two days after the alleged incident took place. Once one of the most promising edge rushers in the NFL, he had a laundry list of incidents that led to his banishment from the league, spending four years in exile before being reinstated last May and joining the Cowboys.
Smith started all 16 games last year, something he’d done just once before. In 2020, he was second on the team with five sacks, three of which came against the Seahawks in Week 3. He had zero in the second half of the season.