On Monday, as the NFL’s legal tampering period began, the Denver Broncos added a few new players to their roster. However, they also lost four of their free agents to other teams. The most recent departure is cornerback and special teams standout Tremon Smith, who is heading to the Houston Texans on a two-year contract, according to NFL insider Tom Pelissero.
Pelissero shared the news on X, stating, “The Texans are signing DB Tremon Smith to a two-year deal worth up to $7.5 million, per source. The deal, negotiated by Matt Glose at Generation Sports Group, makes Smith the highest-paid core special teamer in the NFL next year.”
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Smith, a former sixth-round pick by the Kansas City Chiefs out of Central Arkansas, spent the past two seasons with the Broncos after joining the team as a free agent under head coach Sean Payton. While listed as a cornerback, Smith rarely played that position in Denver, instead making his mark as a special teams gunner.
At 28 years old, Smith is considered one of the league’s premier “core” special-teamers, and his new contract, making him the highest-paid player at his position, reflects his value.
His contributions, such as chasing down punt and kick returns or assisting punter Riley Dixon in pinning opponents deep, may not always show up in the stats, but they are vital nonetheless, as evidenced by the $7.5 million deal from Houston.
The Broncos secured long-snapper Mitchell Fraboni on Sunday, meaning new special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi has two of his three specialists in place. The team still needs to address the punter position, with Dixon currently a free agent. Denver could re-sign Dixon, look to other free agents, or even target a rookie from the draft or an undrafted player. That decision remains up in the air.
For now, Broncos fans bid farewell to Tremon Smith and thank him for his excellent work over the past two seasons.
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