Chris Smith Cut From Browns Almost 3 Months After His Girlfriend Dies In Accident

In a bold move by the Cleveland Browns, the NFL team has now cut defensive end, Chris Smith, just weeks after he became a single father in the wake of the untimely passing of his girlfriend in an accident.

Head coach Freddie Kitchens spoke to reporters on Wednesday, stating, “It is always difficult to cut someone and, in this instance, it was even more difficult, yes.”

Kitchens also spoke about being there the morning of the accident, saying, “I still remember the morning it all happened. I was at his house, and we talked, and some of those conversations that you have with a person builds your identity as a relationship. It is very difficult any time you release a player that is the type of person that Chris is. He is certainly a good person. Our football relationship ended, but that does not mean our personal relationship from my standpoint, his teammates, and this organization. We will always be there to support Chris,” he said.

Smith’s teammates also have been vocal about their feelings with the decision.

“It is tough just because of Chris and who he is,” quarterback Baker Mayfield said. “We love Chris. We were all there for him not just because of what happened but because of who he was as a person, so it is tough to see him go. But it was a decision they had to make,” he said.

Smith has been in the NFL for six seasons, and signed with the Browns in 2018. Since then he has played in 25 games with two starts. In the current season, Smith played in a total of 9 games.

Following the tragic accident in September, Smith was back on the field less than a week later and helped the Browns win against the New York Jets during Monday Night Football.

After the game, Smith said, “When it first happened, I was ready to give up. But I had to just think about my daughter and stuff, and she would want me to play.”

“I got to play for her. She’s my why. My daughter’s my why. My other two kids are, too. But for my youngest, I’ve got to be Mom and Dad. God has stuff happen for a reason. Sometimes we don’t understand God’s plan, but she’s in a better place now. The rest of my life, I’m going to fight for her.”

The Browns return to the field this Sunday as they host the Cincinnati Bengals.