Chiefs Make Surprising Move to Franchise Tag Guard Trey Smith

Most teams don't place a franchise tag on guards because they are priced the same as tackles.

Kansas City Chiefs guard Trey Smith runs out of the tunnel before a game. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Kansas City Chiefs are going to franchise tag guard Trey Smith with a one-year, $23.4 million deal, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported on Thursday.

This is an interesting move for the Chiefs since guards are priced the same as tackles on the franchise tag, meaning Smith will become the highest paid guard in the league. It's very rare teams franchise tag a guard for this reason.

The Chiefs will still look to sign Smith to a long-term deal in the near future, but the franchise tag solidifies keeping him on the team for now. The two sides will have until July 15 to negotiate a long-term deal.

The #Chiefs are planning to franchise tag star guard Trey Smith, sources say. An intriguing move, as KC keeps one of its best players for $23.4M on a 1-year, fully guaranteed deal. pic.twitter.com/IOnctKg7WE

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 27, 2025

Smith was drafted in the sixth round in 2021 and has played his young NFL career all in Kansas City. He's started in 67 of 68 possible games in his career.

Last season, Smith earned his first Pro Bowl bid thanks to his 93.9% pass block win rate and a career-high 75.1% run block win rate. He only allowed 1.5 sacks on quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

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