AUSTIN -- Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said Wednesday he expects to decide by the end of the week whether Emmitt Smith will remain with the team.

	Smith

Jones said he visited with Smith on a flight from Dallas to Austin, where the running back was honored by the Legislature for becoming the leading rusher in NFL history.

"We know he's NFL royalty, he's Dallas Cowboys royalty,'' Jones said. "But this is about the future of the team. We're looking at the future of the team and there are a lot of things involved. It's not about Emmitt's ability to play. We know he can play.''

Smith's status has been in doubt for months because of his contract and age. He turns 34 in May and was due a base salary of $7 million next season, with a salary-cap figure of $9.8 million. If released now, he'll still count $4.9 million against next season's cap.

He's coming off his least productive season since he was a rookie, but said last month he believes he can still gain 1,300 yards. In October, Smith passed Walter Payton for tops on the career rushing list. His record total is 17,162 yards.

Asked if he would consider being a backup in Dallas or anywhere else, Smith said he would "weigh all options, that much I will do.''

He wouldn't say much about where things stand with him and Jones.

"Any discussions between me and Jerry need to go farther and will go farther and basically doesn't become public knowledge until we get it done,'' Smith said.

While Smith was being honored in Austin, new Cowboys coach Bill Parcells held his first team meeting.

Backup running back Troy Hambrick, who has made no secret of his desire to replace Smith, said Parcells didn't mention Smith's absence.

"Not at all,'' Hambrick said.

Smith was born and raised in Florida, and attended college there. He moved to Dallas after being drafted in 1990 and has been there ever since.

"I've been a proud citizen in the state of Texas for 13 years now, going on 14, so I look at Texas as my home now,'' Smith said when asked if he'd consider playing elsewhere.

State lawmakers threw their support behind Smith remaining a Cowboy.

"Don't let him get away,'' Rep. Tony Goolsby, R-Dallas, told Jones. "I want you to realize this man is Cowboys blue.''

Smith, smiling, then pounded House Speaker Tom Craddick's gavel as legislators applauded.

Smith later was honored in the Senate, where Sen. Royce West, D-Dallas, said his chamber should draft a resolution suggesting the team keep Smith.

Smith told representatives that he was appreciative of the honor and the work they do.

"This is definitely an environment that I'm not really accustomed to, but I can relate to because you guys go through what I go through. You get criticized when you don't do things well and you get a lot of slaps on the back when you do things well,'' Smith said.

Members of the House, giddy with excitement over Smith's appearance, stood at ease for about an hour waiting for Smith to arrive.