Emmitt Smith wore a Cowboys uniform for 13 seasons. He rushed for 17,162 yards in Dallas, won three Super Bowls, and became the face of America’s Team. But now, he’s showing up to watch his son in Chiefs gear. For Cowboys fans, it may seem strange watching a Hall of Famer root for another franchise. But for Smith, it has become something much more personal now. He made that clear when Andrew Siciliano put it to him directly on Inside Coverage.

“I would be the guy that represent my son no matter where he’s at,” Smith told Andrew Siciliano on Inside Coverage.

When asked if he’d wear a split jacket, half Cowboys and half Chiefs, Smith didn’t hesitate. “No, I would not be that guy.”

E.J. Smith went undrafted in the 2026 NFL Draft, but landed on his feet three days later, signing a three-year $3.1 million contract with the Kansas City Chiefs.

For Emmitt Smith, supporting his son in a different uniform is nothing new. He did it throughout E.J.’s college career at Texas A&M, even when it meant rooting against his own alma mater.

“When A&M played the Gators, I was decked out in A&M gear,” Smith said. “I love my Gators, but I love my son a lot more.”

E.J. Smith spent four seasons at Stanford before transferring to Texas A&M, never topping 460 scrimmage yards in a single college season. Even if the numbers do not immediately stand out, the door he walked through leads to Andy Reid and running backs coach DeMarco Murray. And these two men surely know how to develop backs. Reid helped turn LeSean McCoy into the NFL’s most productive back of the 2010s. Murray rushed for over 1,800 yards in his own NFL peak. It is safe to say that E.J. landed in the right room.

However, earning a place in the Kansas City Chiefs backfield will not be easy, with Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III, rookie Emmett Johnson, Emari Demercado, and ShunDerrick Powell already part of the running back room.

For Emmitt Smith, supporting his son in Chiefs gear is only half the story. He has been just as vocal about what went wrong in Dallas last season.

Emmitt Smith calls out the Cowboys’ “Awful” defense

Undoubtedly, the Dallas Cowboys’ defense struggled throughout the 2025 season. The team finished near the bottom of the league, ranking 30th in total defense.

Smith weighed in on what went wrong with the Cowboys last season and also pointed to communication issues and confusion within the defense as one of the biggest problems, calling their performance “downright awful.”

“I think if you got a defense too busy thinking, they’re slow,” Smith said. “They’re not as responsive as they need to be. And if you have guys that are not communicating, you have busted coverages.”

“It really was that bad. I mean, I don’t even know how the D (Defensive) coordinator got a job. It looked that bad. I mean, it was awful. Downright awful. And the communication lines were like hand signals, where nobody on the team understood what they were. It was bad.”

Cowboys fans may finally have a reason to exhale, as Dallas has taken note of the problem and overhauled the entire defense. Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark now hold down the middle of a defensive line that surrendered 377 yards per game last season, joined by edge rusher Rashan Gary, acquired from Green Bay for a late-round pick. In the draft, the Cowboys used the 11th overall pick on safety Caleb Downs and added edge rusher Malachi Lawrence in the first round.

The man tasked with pulling it together is 34-year-old Christian Parker, hired from the Philadelphia Eagles, where Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean both earned first-team All-Pro honors in 2025 under his watch. Smith has seen enough to be encouraged.

“This defensive coordinator now has a chance to bring all of the pieces together,” Smith said, calling Parker “a young guy who can communicate and relate to these young players.”

For now, Emmitt Smith will be watching two teams in 2026. One he built his Hall of Fame career with. One his son is just beginning to fight for a spot on. Whether Dallas’ rebuilt defense can silence the critics and whether E.J. Smith can fight through the 90-man offseason roster to earn one of 53 spots when the season begins, are questions only the season can answer.