The Chargers entered Week 9 without a handful of corners due to various injuries, giving Smith his first start since 2018. Normally a special teams contributor, Smith was set to be the next man up in Los Angeles for a few weeks. The Chargers will have to continue digging deep into their depth chart to find starting corners. They face the Vikings in a potential shootout this week.

It's a one-year deal worth $1.75 million. Smith was suspended for the first four games for violating the league's policy on performance-enhancing substances last year, but returned in Week 5 to log 281 special teams snaps over Tampa Bay's last 12 contests. 27 in September, he's quietly made 16 starts since joining the Bucs as the No. 108 overall pick in 2016.

The move also means Smith now officially takes up a spot on the 53-man roster, which led to linebacker Demone Harris being waived Saturday. Smith's biggest impact versus the Saints could well come on special teams, where he's been a fixture the last two seasons. He'll also slot into a reserve cornerback role and will look to build on the 102 career tackles, one interception, 11 defensed passes, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries he's accumulated over his first three seasons.

Smith will be able to practice with the team as early as Monday since Tampa Bay was granted a one-week roster extension. In order to be eligible for Sunday's tilt against the Saints, the Buccaneers would have to make room for Smith on the roster and activate him by Saturday at 4:00 PM ET.