The Kansas City Chiefs are reportedly about to pay a steep price to keep one of their best offensive linemen.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the reigning AFC champions are have agreed to a four-year, $94 million contract with Trey Smith that will make him the top-paid offensive guard in NFL history.
Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz first reported a deal was close.
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes took to social media not long after the news broke:
The Chiefs offered Smith the franchise tag in February, which guaranteed him $23.4 million, and that gave the two sides until July 15 to work out a multiyear pact.
It came as a bit of a surprises when Kansas City tagged him in the first place.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported in November the Chiefs were unsure of whether they’d be able to retain Smith, whom some expected to reset the guard market. That equated to a salary exceeding Landon Dickerson’s $21 million annual payout from the Philadelphia Eagles.
Fowler followed up in January to report that several teams had Smith “as the top overall free agent.”
The Washington Post‘s Jason La Canfora, meanwhile, reported on Feb. 11 that Kansas City’s front office expected “to lose (Smith) on the open market.”
Before the offseason fully kicked into gear, the Chiefs were well over the salary cap. Even accounting for the cost-savings maneuvers general manager Brett Veach would inevitably execute, it was difficult to see how they’d free up enough cash to make Smith’s return realistic.
Granted, a lot of the same things applied to defensive tackle Chris Jones when his contract was winding down, and he wound up signing a $158.8 million deal last spring.
Veach clearly decided Smith was too valuable to lose, and it’s not hard to see why.
The 26-year-old made his first Pro Bowl in 2024 and was a top-tier run-blocker. He ranked sixth among interior linemen in run-block win rate at ESPN.com.
The Chiefs have also watched as their inability to protect Mahomes played a large role in their two recent Super Bowl losses. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers hounded Mahomes in the pocket in Super Bowl LV, and the Philadelphia Eagles gave him nightmares four years later in Super Bowl LIX.
In the case of Smith, he’s not one of the most important pieces in the Chiefs’ pass protection, but his new salary speaks to the impact he provides on the field. Taking him out of the offensive line would’ve created a massive void along Kansas City’s front.
Keeping Smith will force Veach to make tough decisions in other areas of the roster, though.
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