The 2026 NFL Draft came and went without EJ Smith’s name being called, but by Sunday the running back had made a decision that surprised just about everyone who assumed they knew where he would land. The son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith, the NFL’s all-time leading rusher and a 3-time Super Bowl champion with the Dallas Cowboys, announced on Instagram that he would be signing with the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent — bypassing the franchise most closely linked to his family name in the process.
The Cowboys connection that wasn’t
The expectation that Smith might end up in Dallas was not simply a matter of sentiment. He had recently attended Dallas Day, the Cowboys’ invite-only local prospect workout event, a fact that only strengthened the narrative of a homecoming that felt almost too tidy to be real. The Cowboys, it appears, did not move quickly enough to make it happen, and Smith ultimately made the call to forge his own path in Kansas City rather than walk through the most obvious door available to him.
It is a choice that carries a certain deliberate symbolism. Emmitt Smith’s legacy in Dallas is immense — 8 Pro Bowl selections, 5 All-Pro honors, 4 rushing titles and more career rushing yards, attempts and rushing touchdowns than any player in NFL history. Signing with the Cowboys would have invited constant and unavoidable comparisons. Choosing the Chiefs instead signals that EJ Smith is intent on building something that is entirely his own.
A college career defined by flashes and adversity
Smith’s path to this moment was shaped by 6 years of college football split between 2 programs. He spent his first 4 seasons at Stanford, where his most promising stretch came early when he averaged 103 rushing yards and 31.5 receiving yards per game as a starter — a run that was cut short after just 2 games by a season-ending injury that triggered a second redshirt season and reset his development timeline significantly.
He transferred to Texas A&M for his final 2 seasons, where he operated primarily in a depth role behind established backs. In 2024, he contributed 207 rushing yards in a limited capacity, and in his final collegiate season he totaled 44 carries for 205 yards and 4 rushing touchdowns while adding 4 receptions. Across his full college career spanning 48 games at both schools, Smith accumulated 969 rushing yards, 9 rushing touchdowns, 470 receiving yards and 1 receiving touchdown. His average of 4.7 yards per carry at Texas A&M reflects a player who made the most of limited touches but never had the volume needed to build a definitive draft case.
Landing in a crowded but opportunity-rich backfield
The Chiefs present a challenging but potentially instructive environment for a player trying to prove himself. Kansas City signed Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III to a multiyear deal in free agency and also selected Emmett Johnson in the draft, with Emari Demercado, ShunDerrick Powell and Jadyn Ott — another undrafted signing — also in the mix. The path to the final 53-man roster will require Smith to distinguish himself in training camp and preseason against several players competing for the same limited spots.
There is, however, 1 compelling connection that may work in his favor. The Chiefs’ running backs coach is DeMarco Murray, himself a former Cowboys star who broke Emmitt Smith’s single-season franchise rushing record in 2014. Having a coach with direct ties to his father’s legacy — and who understands the weight of that legacy — could prove to be a meaningful part of EJ’s adjustment to the professional game.
Carrying a famous name into uncharted territory
Emmitt Smith, speaking publicly before the draft, encouraged his son to focus on running his own race and tune out the noise that inevitably follows a famous last name. That advice feels especially relevant now. In Kansas City, under Andy Reid and with a championship organization as the backdrop, EJ Smith has given himself a legitimate shot at proving that his football identity is entirely his own.
Source: ClutchPoints, Fox News, NBC Sports, A to Z Sports