There are a handful of former Tennessee Vols still battling for the Lombardi Trophy in the NFL playoffs. Two of the most successful will face off next weekend, and it could be an up close and personal encounter.
The AFC playoffs are set, and the Houston Texans will travel to top seeded Kansas City next weekend in the divisional round of the playoffs. That will pit Texans DE Derrick Barnett against Chiefs OL Trey Smith, and given their positions, there’s a chance the duo could literally butt heads in the contest.
Smith has been a stalwart on the Chiefs’ back-to-back Super Bowl championship offensive line since he was drafted by Kansas City back in 2021. In four years, he’s missed just one start back in 2022, and he’s helped keep Patrick Mahomes clean. He was selected for his first Pro Bowl this year.
A lot of eyes from front office executives will be on Smith during these playoffs, as he’s set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason and likely the highest paid interior offensive lineman. He could command a market-setting contract in excess of $21 million per year.
Conversely, Barnett, who set the Tennessee Vols’ sack record back in 2016, is looking at making another Super Bowl run himself. Barnett was a part of the Eagles’ 2017-18 Super Bowl championship team his rookie season, and he had a big play in Super Bowl LII. He recovered a Tom Brady fumble late in the game that helped the Eagles add to their lead and hold on for their first ever Super Bowl title.
Barnett has settled into a reserve role with the Texans, appearing in 16 games with 1 start, but he’s made his time count, notching 5 sacks and leading the league by himself with 2 fumbles returned for touchdowns.
As I mentioned before, it’s possible Barnett could cross paths with Smith if he twists inside off the edge or lines up more towards the middle. That could be an interesting matchup if it happens.
Regardless, at least one former Vol will continue on to the AFC championship in search of another Super Bowl ring. It’s always pretty cool to see former Vols hoist the Lombardi Trophy, and there’s a pretty good chance it happens again next month.