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Throughout his NFL career, Chris Smith has had some trouble sticking with teams. And that continues to be the case heading into 2021.
Prior to Tuesday’s 4 p.m. ET deadline for 53-man rosters to be set, Smith was released by the Baltimore Ravens, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Now, the 29-year-old defensive end will return to free agency to look for another opportunity.
Smith spent his college days at Arkansas, playing for the Razorbacks from 2010-13. He was a second-team All-SEC selection during his final season, then he got selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fifth round of the 2014 NFL Draft.
After spending 3 seasons in Jacksonville, Smith was traded to the Cincinnati Bengals. That led to his best year in the NFL, as he had 26 tackles and 3 sacks in 16 games in 2017, which led to him signing a 3-year deal with the Cleveland Browns the following offseason.
Smith was waived by the Browns during the 2019 season, and he’s since spent time with the Carolina Panthers (2020), Las Vegas Raiders (2020) and Ravens (2021).
Last season, Smith played 8 games for the Raiders, recording 5 tackles and 1 sack. Now, it’s unclear what the future will hold for the 29-year-old.
Jake Rill contributes to news coverage for Saturday Down South. He has covered the SEC since 2016.
