Pro Football Hall of Famer Emmitt Smiththe son EJ he found a home in the NFL… but not with the Dallas Cowboys.
EJ announced on Saturday, April 25, that he will sign with the Kansas City Chiefs as a free agent after going undrafted in the 2026 NFL Draft.
“Excited to sign with the Kansas City Chiefs as a free agent,” EJ wrote in an Instagram post, along with a video showing the NFL legend's son on the phone with the Chiefs. “Nothing is given – everything is earned. I am ready to work, learn, and prove myself every day.”
EJ appears to be charting his own path rather than following in the footsteps of his father, the NFL's leading rusher who spent 13 seasons playing for the Cowboys.
Instead, the younger Smith seemed determined to play with him Patrick Mahomes again Travis Kelce Kansas City is the best option for him.
“Thank you to my family, coaches, teammates, and everyone who believed in me and pushed me this far,” EJ continued in his Instagram post. “The journey was not easy, but all the challenges prepared me for this next step. Thanking is a small thing. Praise be to God for this opportunity. Let's find Chiefs Kingdom.”
Emmitt Smith
Cindy Ord/Getty ImagesEJ completed his sixth season of college football before declaring for the 2026 NFL Draft. He spent four seasons at Stanford before playing the final two years of his college career at Texas A&M.
Deion Sanders celebrates with sons Shedeur and Shiloh Sanders both joining the NFL after a disappointing 2025 showing. “God is Good!” Deion, 57, was drafted by the X on Saturday, April 26. Shedeur, 23, was drafted by the Cleveland Browns on Saturday, April 26, in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Hours later, Shiloh said, […]
He finished his career with 969 rushing yards on 207 carries and nine touchdowns. He also added 470 receiving yards and a touchdown through the air.
Before the draft, Emmitt talked about his son forging his own path and told his son to “put your blinders on” and “just play the game.”
“Here's the thing — you have to run your own race, and not pay attention to what other people say,” Emmitt told Fox News. “Because you have any talent, you have to be yourself. And you have to work to be yourself and work on what you need to do to hone your craft. Just go play the game. Put your blinders on. Run your race. … Then when the blinders come off, you might look up one day and find yourself in the big Super Bowl. You never know.”
He continued, “But always, ignore all the noise because it's noise. And they're not playing. They're trying to put their things on you and what they expect from you. But if their expectations are different from you, it doesn't matter. Just go and meet all the expectations. Everything else doesn't matter.”
