Former Buccaneers' Offensive Lineman Signs with Defending Super Bowl Champions
After occupying the starting left tackle position for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for nearly a decade, Donovan Smith has officially landed with another team.
Early Wednesday evening, Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network reported that Smith has agreed to terms with the Kansas City Chiefs on a 1-year, $9 million deal.
Drafted by the Bucs in the 2nd round of the 2015 NFL Draft out of Penn State, Smith proved to be incredibly durable over the course of his time in Tampa. Despite staying healthy for the past eight seasons, and never once losing his starting role, Smith was often criticized by fans for his inconsistent performance, and propensity for committing penalties.
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Still, Smith was excellent during the Buccaneers' Super Bowl winning season in 2020, specifically in the postseason, where Brady was sacked just 6 times on 144 dropbacks across four games. Smith was a big part of the team's success during that run, and without his solid play protecting Tom Brady's blind side, it's fair to surmise the Bucs wouldn't have gone the distance. His solid play continued the following season, and it earned him a massive, 2-year, $31 million contract to remain the team's franchise left tackle through 2023.
But last season, Smith's performance began to falter. And although he sustained an elbow injury during the team's first game of the season, once he returned to the lineup, his level of play had clearly regressed.
Which is why it wasn't a shock when the Buccaneers released Smith earlier this offseason, with one year still remaining on his deal.
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And as they've done with a number of other former Buccaneers players from their Super Bowl winning roster, the Kansas City Chiefs have swooped in and signed Smith, presumably to become their new starting left tackle.
No matter how you feel about Smith's performance as a Buccaneer, he should be respected for his contributions to the franchise. He was an ironman for the Bucs, and he played a crucial role in helping the organization secure it's second ever Lombardi Trophy.
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