Sources: Bucs, OT Smith reach $41.25M deal
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and starting left tackle Donovan Smith agreed to a three-year, $41.25 million deal, including $27 million fully guaranteed at signing on Tuesday, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The contract agreement comes hours before Tuesday’s 4 p.m. ET deadline for teams to designate franchise players. Smith was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent next week.
There was never a question if Smith was going to be with the Bucs in 2019. It was a matter of Smith playing under the franchise tag or on a long-term deal, sources told ESPN.
The Buccaneers announced the three-year extension but did not disclose terms.
“Donovan has been a valuable player and a model of durability since we drafted him four years ago,” general manager Jason Licht said in a statement. “We always aim to develop our players and reward them for their productivity and reliability, so keeping Donovan as a Buccaneer was a major priority for us this offseason. Donovan’s presence ensures continuity at one of our most crucial positions on the offensive line and I know our coaching staff is eager to begin working with him.”
Smith, 25, was a second-round draft pick (34th overall) in 2015. He has started 64 consecutive games, tied for second most by any left tackle in the league, behind Jake Matthews of the Atlanta Falcons.
Smith’s 4,142 snaps are second most of any player, offense and defense, since 2015 — behind Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce — and his 2,559 pass-blocking plays are the most since 2015.
While Smith has, at times, had issues with consistency, his durability has been considered his greatest asset and many within the Bucs organization have felt he hasn’t reached his ceiling yet.
ESPN’s Jenna Laine contributed to this report.