Andy Reid confirms Donovan Smith will be Chiefs left tackle

There should be no question now that newly signed offensive lineman Donovan Smith will be the Kansas City Chiefs’ left tackle.

Anything can change in the National Football League, but for now, Andy Reid has made one thing clear for Chiefs Kingdom: Donovan Smith is the team’s left tackle.

Reid, the Chiefs’ head coach, confirmed as much today during his time with team reporters following rookie minicamp. “He’s been a left tackle at a high level,” said Reid, saying that he’s seen him first-hand a couple of times.

Just last week, Smith was signed following the 2023 NFL Draft in a surprising move that brought aboard the eight-year NFL veteran on a one-year contract worth up to $9 million in incentives. With the signing came questions about where Smith would fit in the bigger scheme and what it meant for other players.

The confusion largely stemmed from the language around the Chiefs’ first major free agent signing of the offseason with former Jacksonville Jaguars lineman Jawaan Taylor joining the Chiefs on a four-year, $80 million contract. Big money for a right tackle is rarer than getting paid on the left side, and the Chiefs even stated after signing Taylor that they could see him switching sides and being okay with it.

Following the signing of Taylor, the Chiefs also drafted Wanya Morris in the third round out of Oklahoma, which gave them another young competitor for a tackle position to go with third-year tackle Lucas Niang. Instead of allowing competition to sort out the right side while Taylor takes the left, Smith is apparently going to stay at left tackle where he played the last eight seasons in Tampa Bay.