A former Notre Dame football star who has had a rollercoaster career in the NFL is getting a second life. Jaylon Smith last played in a game in 2023, but he's gearing up and ready to play for the Las Vegas Raiders this fall.
The former All-America linebacker went to extreme lengths to get his shot at getting back in the NFL. He participated in a rookie minicamp on a tryout despite having posted seven years in the league starting in 2017.
Jaylon Smith signs with Raiders after tryout sparks NFL comeback hopes
As it turns out, that tryout was enough to convince the Las Vegas Raiders to bring the former Notre Dame football star in on an actual contract. Smith last played with the Raiders in one game during the 2023 season, logging two tackles. That game is, for now, the last one he's played in, but he'll look to change that once this season rolls around.
Originally billed as a high draft pick to end his Fighting Irish career, he sustained a devastating knee injury in the final game of his Notre Dame career, which slid him to the 34th pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. He spent five full seasons with the Dallas Cowboys before they released him midway through his sixth season.
That year, he also appeared in games for the Green Bay Packers and New York Giants and then spent 2022 on the Giants roster, appearing in 13 games.
He began the 2023 campaign with the New Orleans Saints before ending up with the Raiders in November 2023. Las Vegas cut him less than three weeks later, so Smith spent the end of the season on the Steelers practice squad. The former Notre Dame football star was never promoted to the Steelers' active roster.