Offensive Tackle Donovan Smith signs with the Chiefs

Donovan Smith (Google Images)

According to Adam Teicher of ESPN on Thursday, the Kansas City Chiefs signed offensive lineman Donovan Smith of Hempstead, New York to a one-year deal worth $9 million. The 6’6″, 340 pound left tackle had spent the last eight seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and won a Super Bowl in 2021.

If you might think that Smith is among the highest paid offensive linemen in the National Football League, you would be wrong. That is because there are seven offensive linemen making $20 million or more including Chiefs offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor, who signed a four-year deal worth $80 million on March 16. Taylor coms to Kansas City after four seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Smith has started 124 regular season games with the Buccaneers since 2015, and an additional seven games in the playoffs. He has one career fumble recovery. That came on October 22, 2017 in a 30-27 Buccaneers loss to the Buffalo Bills.

Initially, Smith played his college football at Penn State. He was then selected by the Buccaneers in the second round, 34th overall, in the 2015 NFL Draft.

The Chiefs were in need of a starting left tackle. That is because they lost Orlando Brown Jr. of Duluth, Georgia in free agency. Brown signed a four-year deal worth $64 million with the Cincinnati Bengals on March 17. 

Teicher reports that Smith really struggled in 2022 with pass rushing and run blocking. He also had to deal with injuries to his elbow and foot. Now Smith is going from protecting the recently retired Tom Brady to the 2022 NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes. 

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