Trey Smith and the Kansas City Chiefs have finally reached agreement on a long term deal, continuing an NFL contract trend that has spanned the last two offseasons.
Smith had been searching for a new deal since the team franchise tagged him in February following their loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. That had him under a one-year, $23.4m tender which would’ve become a mandatory contract had a deal not been worked out by the end of Tuesday, July 15th.
There had been a number of updates and rampant speculation over when and whether the deal would get done, as well as what a potential deal might cost, but in a late update on Tuesday, the Chiefs answered everybody’s questions.
Trey Smith signs huge deal, remains with Kansas City Chiefs
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the Kansas City Chiefs beat the deadline, signing the offensive guard to a mammoth four-year, $94m extension, $70m of which is guaranteed. That makes Smith the highest-paid guard in the NFL.
The Chiefs made Smith their sixth-round draft choice in 2021 out of Tennessee, and the former Volunteer has made light of his lowly draft status to start all but one game since his arrival. A regular member of the team protecting Patrick Mahomes, Smith became a two-time Super Bowl champion in 2024, while also earning his first Pro Bowl at the end of last season.
Kansas City’s offensive line rebuild, and the realities of offensive line contracts
Getting this deal done is likely to complete a long-running saga for the Chiefs, who have been trying to recalibrate their offensive line following its disappointing collapse in the Super Bowl against the Philadelphia Eagles.
The team has long been searching for a long-term answer at left tackle, after having to use former guard Joe Thuney there last season, and found it recently in the first round of the NFL draft by drafting Josh Simmons, who is already drawing some hefty comparisons. Thuney was therefore traded to the Chicago Bears, cementing the newly minted Trey Smith at the left guard spot. Add on two high-priced investments in Jawaan Taylor and Jaylon Moore, as well as the recently re-signed Creed Humphrey, and you’re looking at a large amount of investment in the offensive line by the team this offseason.
To be fair to Kansas City, though, this deal just represents the price of doing business in today’s NFL. Whereas at one point in the past, having two bookend tackles would cost a lot of money, but the rest of your blocking unit could be filled in with players at a cheaper price point, we’re now entering an NFL era where all five positions on the offensive line carry heavy pay packets. This is no real surprise, as teams have also pivoted from high-profile edge rushers to also looking for disruptors on the interior, a trend likely started by the likes of former Los Angeles Rams phenom Aaron Donald.
As such, interior pass protectors like Smith and other well-paid guards like Chris Lindstrom (with the Atlanta Falcons ) and Robert Hunt (of the Carolina Panthers) have been able to cash in on their various deals, and there’s no sign of that market slowing down any time soon. The Chiefs will be hoping their investment both brings them back to the Super Bowl and allows them to go one step further in 2025, and bring yet another title home.
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