The Kansas City Chiefs are going to be keeping one of their budding, young stars barring a big trade.
There was a lot of chatter about the future of Pro Bowler Trey Smith as he was heading to free agency. The 25-year-old had a big year in 2024 and was going to be one of the top guys in free agency. The Chiefs clearly know this and didn’t let him get to the open market and instead handed him the franchise tag.
Despite this, there has been chatter that the team is still interested in working out a long-term deal rather than entering the 2025 season on the franchise tag. What could a deal look like, though? Sports Illustrated’s Matt Verderame and Gilberto Manzano projected Smith’s market value to be $105 million over five years.
“No. 2. Trey Smith, OG, Chiefs,” Verderame and Manzano said. “Projected contract: Five years, $105 million. Age: 25. Kansas City placed the nonexclusive franchise tag on Smith, who has worked his way up from an inconsistent 2021 sixth-round pick to one of the best offensive guards in the league. Smith’s elite skills as a run blocker helped Isiah Pacheco turn into a dynamic running back and assisted Kareem Hunt with reviving his career in Kansas City this past season.
“Smith might get dinged for having too much help playing next to offensive guard Joe Thuney and center Creed Humphrey. It also helps that Patrick Mahomes can extend plays, but the star quarterback probably wouldn’t hesitate to rave about Smith as a pass blocker. We’ll find out soon how much of a priority he will be for a team with currently only $8 million in cap space for ’25.”
The Chiefs don’t necessarily need to give him a new deal after handing out the franchise tag, but this seems like a fair price tag, especially after trading away Joe Thuney. The Chiefs need to secure the offensive line and that starts with Smith.
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