Donovan Smith on Chiefs' Quest for Three-Peat, Prospect of Returning to KC

On a recent podcast appearance, Smith spoke about KC's chances of winning another Super Bowl and what it'd be like to be a part of that pursuit.

Feb 14, 2024; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Mike Danna (left) and offensive tackle Donovan Smith (right) celebrate with fans on the street in the parade during the celebration of the Kansas City Chiefs winning Super Bowl LVIII. Mandatory Credit: Julia Kapros-USA TODAY Sports / Julia Kapros-USA TODAY Sports

The Kansas City Chiefs' offensive line play was a major reason why the club turned things around in time to make a serious playoff run late last season. With both ends of the front five stepping their respective games up, quarterback Patrick Mahomes was more productive and running back Isiah Pacheco enjoyed some solid performances.

One of those bookends, Donovan Smith, is still a free agent in the aftermath of winning Super Bowl LVIII. He's no stranger to waiting patiently on the market, though, as he didn't sign with Kansas City until early May of last year. A tackle-needy team should eventually come along, especially considering Smith was solid when healthy in 2023-24.

While waiting for that opportunity to arise, Smith recently appeared on the A000 Hours Out Tha Mud podcast. When asked about his now-former team's chances of winning a record third Super Bowl in a row, the veteran lineman didn't hold back in giving a supreme vote of confidence.

"100%," Smith said. "Just being real-time in that locker room, seeing what they've got, 100%. Is it going to be easy? Hell no, it's never easy. You've got cats who go through their whole career, 15-year careers, [and] never get to see that s—. Never go to the playoffs. It's going to be hard, but it definitely can be done. Definitely."

Smith, of course, played a leadership role for Kansas City just as much as an on-field one. All season long, he worked alongside 2023 third-round pick Wanya Morris to help get the rookie up to speed. That preparation came in handy, as a neck injury saw Smith sit out most of Week 13 and all of Weeks 14-18. Morris had an up-and-down stint, then Smith subsequently returned for the postseason and picked back up as the starter.

Since the beginning of the offseason, the Chiefs have brought in some competition for Morris. Many speculated that Smith would be the move, although the 2024 NFL Draft saw the franchise select BYU offensive tackle Kingsley Suamataia in the second round. Suamataia is expected to push Morris this offseason, but nothing is set in stone yet for either player.

With Smith still unsigned as of the publishing of this article, is there any chance he will end up back in Kansas City after all? At the end of last month, general manager Brett Veach didn't seem too confident in that possibility. Smith himself didn't shoot the idea down, yet he also didn't campaign too hard for it. The idea of helping the Chiefs go down in NFL history does appeal to him, though.

"That's the way to do it," Smith said. "A three-peat? Just to be able to have that accolade under your belt, your name in the history book three straight times. You've got to double-check and look at that s— like, 'Hold on, did they mess up?'"

Read More: Assessing the NFL Readiness of Chiefs Rookie Tackle Kingsley Suamataia