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Trey Smith lost Super Bowl 59 with Chiefs, but he's about to get paid as a free agent
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- Trey Smith lost Super Bowl 59 with Chiefs, but he's about to get paid as a free agent
Kansas City Chiefs guard Trey Smith failed to win his third straight Super Bowl on Sunday, but the former University of Tennessee star is about to cash in as a free agent .
The Chiefs lost 40-22 to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl 59 in New Orleans .
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Smith has two Super Bowl wins and one loss. Only Peyton Manning has more Super Bowl appearances (four) among former Vols .
More impressively, Smith has played only four NFL seasons. That's quite a feat considering he worked at the Super Bowl only five years ago as a UT student-athlete.
Smith was a Pro Bowl selection this season, and he's about to be one of the most coveted players to hit the free agent market this offseason.
Here is where Smith ranks among UT players in Super Bowl appearances and a peek into his NFL future.
Where Trey Smith ranks among Vols in Super Bowl
Smith is among 74 former UT players to reach the Super Bowl — 40 of those players won a combined 50 Super Bowls.
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In UT history, Bill Bates is the only player to win three. He was a defensive back and special teams standout for the Dallas Cowboys who won Super Bowls 27, 28 and 30.
Eight former UT players have won two Super Bowls, including Smith. Manning had a 2-2 record in four Super Bowls with the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos .
Manning, Bates, Smith and linebacker Jack "Hacksaw" Reynolds are the only Vols with three or more Super Bowl appearances. Reynolds lost a Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Rams and won twice with the San Francisco 49ers .
Smith has plenty of time to climb to the top of that list.
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How much Trey Smith could get paid as a free agent
Smith is a unique success story.
He was a five-star recruit at University School of Jackson, a two-time All-SEC selection for the Vols and a first-round talent. But he dropped to the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft because of blood clots in his lungs that raised concerns.
Smith has started all four NFL seasons, and he was arguably the best guard in the NFL this season. He started all 19 games without allowing a sack.
Smith earned $6.6 million in four seasons with the Chiefs. Spotrac.com , which tracks NFL salaries, estimates his market value at $78.8 million over four years, or $19.7 million per year. Other reports predict he will garner much more, considering he's already an elite player and only 25 years old.
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Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com . X, formerly known as Twitter @AdamSparks . Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe .
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Trey Smith hits free agency after Kansas City Chiefs lose Super Bowl
