Kansas City Chiefs reportedly signing veteran offensive tackle Donovan Smith to one-year contract
The Kansas City Chiefs continue to add to their offensive line depth, with veteran offensive tackle Donovan Smith becoming the latest addition to one of the NFL’s best blocking groups.
Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported Wednesday that Smith and the Chiefs have agreed to a one-year contract worth $9 million.
That ranks 31st in annual value among all offensive tackles and is more than former Chiefs right tackle Andrew Wylie signed for with the Washington Commanders this offseason.
Smith was a second-round pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2015 and has spent his entire career in Tampa up until now. He made the NFL’s all-rookie team in 2015 and won Super Bowl LV against Kansas City at the end of the 2020 season.
According to Pro Football Focus, Smith’s best-graded season was 2021, but his worst overall grade came last season. However, that was bogged down by a particularly bad run-blocking grade; his PFF pass-blocking grade was the fourth-best of his career.
This is the third new offensive tackle the Chiefs have brought into the fold since winning Super Bowl LVII. Kansas City gave a blockbuster deal to former Jacksonville Jaguars tackle Jawaan Taylor, signing him to a four-year, $80 million contract in March. Then, this past weekend, the Chiefs spent a third-round pick in the NFL draft on Oklahoma’s Wanya Morris.
Kansas City had to rebuild its tackles group after Wylie and Orlando Brown Jr., both of whom started in the Super Bowl, left in free agency. Brown signed with the Cincinnati Bengals for a four-year, $64.09 million deal.
When Taylor signed two months ago, it was expected that he would start at left tackle despite playing predominantly on the right side in Jacksonville. However, Smith has played left tackle almost exclusively during his career. According to Pelissero, the two are expected to play at their usual positions in 2023 for the Chiefs.
After making just one signing (Taylor) during the initial wave of free agency, the Chiefs have been busy signing veterans to short-term deals as the offseason has progressed, including a new deal for running back Jerick McKinnon earlier this week. Smith joins wide receiver Richie James and backup quarterback Blaine Gabbert as newcomers who have joined Kansas City on one-year contracts over the past month.
