Chiefs Must be Cautious in Contract Talks With Pro Bowler

The Kansas City Chiefs entered the offseason with some major question marks, and one of the biggest ones concerned their offensive line.

The Chiefs clearly have significant issues in the trenches that were brutally exposed by the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl, and now, Kansas City has to find a way to solve them.

Well, the Chiefs have already begun prioritizing their line, as they are preparing to slap a franchise tag on Pro Bowl guard Trey Smith and are apparently going to try and work out a long-term contract with him.

That's all well and good, as Kansas City's offensive line was a problem with Smith; let alone without him. However, the Chiefs need to be very cautious when trying to hammer out a lucrative multi-year pact for the former sixth-round pick.

While Smith was good during the regular season, he didn't exactly shine during the playoffs, and he had some rough moments during the Super Bowl. As a matter of fact, Pro Football Focus had Smith pegged at a 40.8 pass-blocking grade in the playoffs.

Small sample size, sure, and Smith has been a fixture along Kansas City's line ever since entering the NFL in 2021. However, the 25-year-old is being projected to land a deal worth in the ballpark of $20 million annually. That's a lot for a guard, especially when it's not exactly like Smith is Will Shields.

The Chiefs already have some financial complications as it is, which could prevent them from significantly improving their offensive line or adding some more actual weapons for Patrick Mahomes this offseason. So, handing such an exorbitant amount of cash to Smith is risky.

Smith is a good player, but is he a great one? Is he genuinely elite? That is what general manager Brett Veach and Co. need to ask themselves heading into contract discussions.

It's important for Kansas City to keep the long view in mind. The Chiefs need to keep the Super Bowl window open for the next decade so long as Mahomes remains under center. That means they will almost always need to have some money available for improvements.

I'm not saying Kansas City shouldn't extend Smith, but the Chiefs need to think long and hard about exactly how much Smith is worth to them and whether or not re-upping with him on a massive pact with hamper their ability to improve the roster elsewhere. Not just in 2025, but also in the years to come.

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