Jaylon Smith is back in the NFL. After a full year without a team, the former Pro Bowl linebacker has signed with the Las Vegas Raiders following a tryout during rookie minicamp. It is not a blockbuster move. It probably will not dominate headlines. However, for Smith, it is a real chance to prove he can still play. For the Raiders, it is a smart, quiet pickup that adds veteran depth to a roster that needs it.
The Road Has Not Been Straight
Smith’s career has been anything but predictable. Coming out of Notre Dame, he looked like a future star. He had speed, power and instincts. Then, in his final college game, everything changed. A brutal knee injury shredded his draft stock. Some teams took him off the board completely. The Cowboys took the risk anyway and picked him in the second round in 2016.
He sat out his first year but came back strong. Eventually, he became a starter. In 2019, he made the Pro Bowl. At that point, it felt like he had overcome the worst. But things began to shift. His play dipped. His snaps dropped. The Cowboys cut him midway through the 2021 season.
From there, it was a series of short stops. A couple of games with the Packers. Then the Giants. A one-game cameo with the Raiders in 2023. And then, nothing. He did not suit up at all in 2024. It looked like the league had moved on. Most players in that position call it a career. Smith did not. He kept working. He stayed ready. He waited.
Why the Raiders Are Giving Him Another Shot
The Raiders are in a transitional period. With Pete Carroll now leading the team and Patrick Graham still calling the defense, there is a clear emphasis on veteran toughness and familiarity with the system. Smith checks both of those boxes. He played under Graham with the Giants. That gives him an edge. He does not need to learn the playbook from scratch. He knows what to expect. That makes him valuable in a camp setting.
More importantly, the Raiders need bodies at linebacker. They have Elandon Roberts and Devin White, but not much-proven depth behind them. Smith is not being brought in to save the defense. He is being brought in to compete. If he earns a spot, it will be because he still has something left. And if he does not, the team can move on easily.
There is also something to be said for experience. Smith has been around. He has seen the highs and the lows. That kind of perspective can matter in a young locker room. It does not show up on a stat sheet, but it helps.
A Quiet Start to a Possible Comeback
This is not a storybook return. There are no cameras following Smith into the building. But there is something meaningful about a player refusing to give up. He has been cut, doubted and sidelined. Still, he is not done. He put on the cleats again, showed up to a tryout, and earned a contract. That matters.
Training camp will be the next test. He will have to fight for a roster spot, just like the rookies he lined up next to last weekend. There are no guarantees. But right now, he has a helmet, a locker and a chance. And sometimes, that is all a player needs.
