Chiefs’ Super Bowl champion retires after 9 NFL seasons

Chiefs’ Super Bowl champion retires after 9 NFL seasons originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Donovan Smith hangs up his cleats with two Super Bowl rings on his hand.

Advertisement

He won one with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, then another with the Kansas City Chiefs.

This weekend, he officially announced his retirement, although he hadn’t played in NFL regular season action since 2023.

“Dear Football,” Smith wrote in his announcement. “When I first started out this journey in seventh grade, I didn’t know what the other side would hold… Football has made me feel and experience every emotion imaginable. Thank you to all that has helped me through the years along my football career. It has allowed me to grow and experience life in ways I can’t put into words.”

MORE: Diego Pavia, Shedeur Sanders and an NFL QB problem that goes back to Tim Tebow

Advertisement

Smith played his college football at Penn State before being a second-round pick of the Buccaneers in 2015.

He played his first eight NFL seasons with the Bucs, starting all 124 games he appeared in.

He then made 12 starts with the Chiefs in 2023 (and caught a 1-yard pass) before not getting another chance.

Smith hung on as technically active for a few years but couldn’t break back through.

He has now chosen officially to move on to the next chapter while still just 32 years old.

Smith was always noticeable out on the field at 6-foot-6 and 338 pounds.

Now, he’ll look to find where he’s meant to be next after the end of his NFL career.

Advertisement

More NFL Draft news: