Former NFL Defensive End Chris Smith Dies at 31

He played for the XFL’s Seattle Sea Dragons this season.

Former defensive end Chris Smith has died, his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, announced via Twitter on Tuesday morning. He was 31 years old. 

The cause of death is unknown.

Smith was taken by the Jaguars in the fifth round of the 2014 draft. He traveled around the league, playing with Jacksonville, the Panthers, Raiders, Ravens, Browns, Texans and Bengals during his eight-year NFL career. Though Smith had not played in the league since ’21, he played in the XFL for the Seattle Sea Dragons this season.

Over 72 games in the NFL, Smith recorded 80 total tackles, including 12 tackles for loss, 11.0 sacks and three forced fumbles. 

Smith played college football at Arkansas and was selected as a second-team all-conference defensive end in 2013.

In 2019, Smith and his girlfriend, Petara Cordero, were involved in a minor traffic accident. While attending to the accident, Cordero was struck and killed by a passing vehicle. Smith and Cordero shared a 3-year-old daughter.