Former NFL player and ‘kind soul’ Chris Smith dies at age of 31

Former NFL defensive end Chris Smith has died at the age of 31, according to his agent, Drew Rosenhaus.

“Rest in Peace Chris,” Rosenhaus wrote on Twitter. “Condolences to all his family, friends and loved ones. We will miss you.”

A cause of death has not been released.

Smith played college football at Arkansas before being selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fifth-round of the 2014 draft. He also had spells with the Cincinnati Bengals, Las Vegas Raiders, Cleveland Browns, Carolina Panthers and Baltimore Ravens. He last played in the NFL for the Houston Texans in 2021, but had signed for the XFL’s Seattle Sea Dragons in March.

Several NFL players paid tribute to Smith on Tuesday. “Rest in paradise Chris Smith,” wrote Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku on Twitter. “Hometown hero and a brother to everyone. Such a kind soul. This is Heartbreaking.”

Former Raiders quarterback Derek Carr shared a photo of the two together with the message: “Love you bro.”

Smith had endured tragedy in his personal life. In 2019 his girlfriend, Petara Cordero, was killed after being struck by a car. The two had recently had a daughter together.