Agent: Former NFL DE Chris Smith dies at 31
Former NFL defensive end Chris Smith has died at 31, his agent Drew Rosenhaus confirmed Tuesday.
No cause of death was released for Smith, who was a member of the XFL’s Seattle Sea Dragons this season.
The Jacksonville Jaguars drafted Smith in the fifth round in 2014 out of Arkansas, where he was a second-team All-SEC selection as a senior in 2013.
He played in 72 NFL games (two starts) and recorded 11 sacks and 80 tackles with the Jaguars (2014-16), Cincinnati Bengals (2017), Cleveland Browns (2018-19), Las Vegas Raiders (2020) and Houston Texans (2021).
During the 2019 season, Smith’s girlfriend, Petara Cordero, was struck and killed by a car while standing on the side of a highway in Cleveland. She had exited Smith’s vehicle after it had a tire malfunction and struck a median. The couple had just had a daughter together.
–Field Level Media
