The Cowboys officially announced the contract extension they reached with linebacker Jaylon Smith on Tuesday afternoon and then went ahead and announced the terms of the extension as well.
Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said at a press conference that it is a five-year extension worth $64 million. Jones also said that $35.5 million of that total is guaranteed.
The $12.8 million average annual salary puts Smith behind Bobby Wagner, C.J. Mosley and Deion Jones among inside linebackers. The guarantees are behind only Wagner and Mosley.
Smith was expected to be a first-round pick in 2016, but a knee injury in his final college game knocked him into the second round and kept him out for his entire rookie season. It also cast doubt on his ability to be a high-level NFL player, but Smith hasn’t missed a game the last two years and broke out while starting every game last year.
The deal he signed on Tuesday shows the Cowboys expect more of that for years to come.