Dallas Cowboys: Jaylon Smith seemingly unaware of critics

Jaylon Smith has not endeared himself to Dallas Cowboys fans over the past two seasons and his recent number change shows he’s unaware of this

There’s a new rule this season that allows NFL players to wear different numbers and also makes Tom Brady really, really mad. Even with his fury, players around the league are taking advantage of the new relaxed rules as there have been several changes already, including Dallas Cowboys linebacker Jaylon Smith.

A product of Notre Dame, Smith wore No, 9 in college but was unable to do so for two reasons once he was drafted in the NFL back in 2016. One would be the rules that prohibited it. Two would be the fact that someone else already had it, so even if the rules were changed then, he likely would have worn No. 54 (which equals nine).

And that second part is the problem that’s gotten Smith back in the bad graces of Dallas fans. For some reason, this fan base that hated Tony Romo with all their hearts suddenly realized he was good when he retired. So now, they’re furious that Smith would wear his old number, even though the linebacker did the honorable thing and got Romo’s blessing first.

Of course, this isn’t the first time Smith has shown that he’s not aware of the noise around him — and we’re not even talking about all the times he’s seen celebrating while the refs are throwing a flag behind him for a blatant penalty.

No, Smith also recently told reporters to “watch the film” when asked about his future with the team. Naturally, no one is going to ask about his future unless the film showed he struggled in 2020 — and that’s exactly what you see when watching the film.

It’s not just a one-time thing either. Smith’s play declined in 2019 after signing a massive extension on the heels of a spectacular 2018 campaign. That dip in performance has led many fans to criticize him and Smith doesn’t seem to realize that he’s not performing at the level he should be.

All that being said, the number thing is really a non-factor. There aren’t that many to go around on a 53-man roster so retiring them in the NFL is rare. And Smith playing linebacker wearing No. 9 in no way tarnishes or threatens anything Romo did for the team. Maybe if it’s another quarterback, it’s a different story but we’re talking about the other side of the line of scrimmage here.

It’s just another interesting storyline in the flailing relationship between Jaylon Smith and the Dallas fans that were once longing for him to get on the field back in 2016 and wreak havoc on offenses.