Jaylon Smith might not end up playing a single snap for the Cowboys in 2016, but he's still going to make some serious money.
The second-round pick out of Notre Dame officially signed his rookie deal on Friday.
The four-year, $6.494 million contract includes a $2.924 million signing bonus and $4.422 million in overall guarantees, according to Spotrac. Smith is also expected to collect $900,000 from an insurance policy that went into effect after he fell out of the first round of the draft.
The interesting thing about Smith's contract is that it doesn't contain any clauses pertaining to his health. According to NFL.com, Smith was given a "standard rookie contract." That means he'll be collecting all of the guaranteed money he's owed whether he plays or not, and there's a chance he might not play at all in 2016.
The former Notre Dame linebacker, who was expected to be a top-five pick in the NFL draft, saw his stock fall dramatically after he tore his ACL and MCL in a January Fiesta Bowl loss to Ohio State.
The Cowboys ended up taking a risk by selecting Smith early in the second round, even though they were aware that he might not play at all in 2016. Despite Smith's current health, Jerry Jones is confident that the linebacker will be able to contribute to Dallas's defense this season.
The eternally optimistic Cowboys owner said in early May that the team doesn't plan on placing Smith on injured reserve because there's a chance he could play late in the season -- like, real late in the season.
"We'll take a chance that he'll be back for the playoffs," Jones said.
