Former Bengals player Chris Smith passes away at 31
Former NFL veteran Chris Smith has died, per his high school alma mater, West Roman High School. The Salisbury Post confirmed his death. The cause of death at this time is unknown. Smith was just 31 years old. Smith played eight years in the league, including one season with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2017. He […]
Former NFL veteran Chris Smith has died, per his high school alma mater, West Roman High School. The Salisbury Post confirmed his death.
The cause of death at this time is unknown. Smith was just 31 years old.
Smith played eight years in the league, including one season with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2017. He was signed as a free agent in April of that year and went on to make the final roster in August, but it was far from a given when the preseason began.
In just three preseason games, Smith racked up 15 total pressures and two sacks for the Bengals. He didn't even have to play the fourth preseason game as he already established himself as a lock for the roster.
Smith played in all 16 games in 2017 and had arguably his best season as a pro, finishing with three sacks and 26 total tackles.
Originally drafted out of Arkansas by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2014, Smith ended up playing for five teams in his career. The fifth-round pick spent three years in Jacksonville before his lone season in Cincinnati. He would later go on to play three years for the Cleveland Browns, one year for the Las Vegas Raiders, and finished his NFL career with the Houston Texans for the 2021 season.
Smith wasn't done playing football. He signed a contract to play for the XFL's Seattle Sea Dragons back in March. He ended up playing in five games, with his last being just two weeks ago.
Our hearts are with Smith's family, and the entire Rowan County community.
