Mike McCarthy on Aldon Smith: “I Personally Haven’t Moved On”

Aldon Smith made a triumphant return to the NFL in 2020. After five years away from the gridiron due to an indefinite suspension, and getting his life together off-the-field, the former All-Pro showed some flashes of what he used to be, at least early in the season.

Earlier this week, it was reported that the Cowboys were still considering bringing Smith back in 2021. However, on Wednesday, it was announced his time in Dallas had come to an end, or maybe it hasn’t.

Cowboys Head Coach Mike McCarthy held a press conference on Thursday, and when Smith’s name came up, he gave a very intriguing answer on his future in Dallas.

“First off, Aldon Smith, that’s still fluid,” McCarthy said. “I personally haven’t moved on. I was in a conversation yesterday about Aldon, so we’ll see how that works out moving forward.”

Smith’s start of the 2020 season couldn’t have gone any better. Despite the Cowboys 1-2 record, Smith recorded four sacks in the first three games which included a three-sack performance against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 3. Unfortunately, the flames from his hot start cooled off quickly as he only recorded one sack for the rest of the season.

The former first-round pick finished second to DeMarcus Lawrence in sacks (5) and quarterback pressures (33). He started all 16 games last season and logged 809 snaps (most since his rookie season in 2012).

It wasn’t a dominant showing by Smith, but considering what he went through to make it back to the NFL, it was a solid starting point. If by some chance he does get another shot with the Cowboys he’d provide another presence on the edge to go with Lawrence, Randy Gregory, Tarell Basham, Dorance Armstrong, Ron’Dell Carter, and Bradlee Anae (who still hasn’t been unleashed yet).

There’s no telling if the rest of the organization feels the same as McCarthy when it comes to Smith. With that being said, his statement keeps Smith’s return as a possibility, even if it’s unlikely.