Donovan Smith: I’m healthy, fresh, and feeling real good
Left tackle Donovan Smith‘s first foray into free agency saw him land with the Chiefs on a one-year deal.
While Smith — who turns 30 in June — will play for a team not named the Buccaneers for the first time in his career, he said on Wednesday that he can tell why Kansas City has been a championship team.
“The way that they prepare from top to bottom, coaches to players — it’s good to see,” Smith said in his press conference. “The locker room is good, you obviously see the camaraderie that they have, hanging out with each other and what not. I’m kind of just still feeling my way around, figuring some things out. But other than that, everything’s been smooth.”
A second-round pick back in 2015, Smith has not missed many games in his career. But he was able to play just 13 games for Tampa Bay last year while dealing with injuries.
“It was a little frustrating,” Smith said of his 2022 season. “Obviously, I played with a lot more injuries than I probably should have. But, it’s just something that we do. We go out there, we sacrifice our bodies to go out there for the greater good of the team. Unfortunately, we didn’t finish the way that we wanted. But it is what it is.
“New beginning, new journey. I’m healthy, I’m fresh, and feeling real good.”
Smith noted that he did draw interest from some other teams after the Buccaneers released in him March. But after the draft, he went to visit with the Chiefs and realized that the reigning Super Bowl champs were a good fit.
So now Smith is on the team he helped defeat in Super Bowl LV with the hope of helping Kansas City become the first team to repeat as champions since New England did it in 2004 and 2005.
“I know who I am as a player. I know what I can accomplish. I have accomplished a lot of things and that’s what we’re going to continue to do,” Smith said. “Got a great quarterback, receivers, running backs, good offense, good defense. Why not?”
Donovan Smith: I’m healthy, fresh, and feeling real good originally appeared on Pro Football Talk
