Chiefs Restructure Trey Smith's Contract, Clear Cap Space for 2026 Season

The Chiefs have moved some money around on Trey Smith's deal, allowing them to roll into the season with some wiggle room.

Aug 9, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Kansas City Chiefs guard Trey Smith (65) against the Arizona Cardinals during a preseason NFL game at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With the regular season on the horizon, all 32 teams must not only be compliant with the salary cap but also would be wise to be a little flexible going into Week 1. The Kansas City Chiefs weren't in great shape regarding wiggle room, which general manager Brett Veach and his staff seemed to be well aware of.

Less than two weeks before the club's opener against the Denver Broncos, some additional cap room is being created. Per a Thursday morning report from Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap, the contract of right guard Trey Smith has been restructured.

The move gives the Chiefs an additional $12.5 million in room under the cap rolling into Week 1.

The Chiefs restructured the contract of G Trey Smith to gain $12.5M in cap room. This makes the Chiefs in compliance with the cap for the regular season. https://t.co/auFw6OTxFD

— Jason_OTC (@Jason_OTC) September 3, 2026

The move effectively locks Smith into a Chiefs uniform and removes some freedom in decision-making with his contract down the line. He now carries a cap hit of just $12.1M for 2026, but those numbers are $34.2M in both 2027 and 2028. The only reasonable "out" on the deal would be the final year, when a pre-June 1 cut would save $23.5M against the cap while incurring $10.7M in dead money.

Speaking to the media late last month, Chiefs assistant general manager Chris Shea alluded to having some options when it came to giving Veach more space to operate.

“Well, we feel good about where we're at," Shea said. "Obviously, the rules change a little bit when the season starts. Certain things come onto the cap that aren't there now. We have a plan to create ample space for us to be able to operate with those charges that come on and create some flexibility.

"We have lots of avenues to create more flexibility and more cap space. We may take advantage of some or all in the next few weeks, but we certainly have the ability and likely will create some cap space to get us into the regular season.”

With the Smith move now on the books, OTC gives Kansas City $13.8M in estimated team cap space. As Shea acknowledged, some elements will soon count against the cap, making the new threshold that much more important. Once Week 1 arrives, it's no longer just the top 51 players who go on the docket. Team practice squads, full 53-man rosters and injured players make up the list.

Tweaking the contract of Smith, who played a career-low 665 snaps last season but remains one of the best guards in the sport, opens new doors and gives the team some much-needed breathing room.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram for the latest news.