Alex Smith (QB) - Pro Football Rumors

Chiefs Sign Alex Smith To Four-Year Extension

September 2nd, 2014 at 4:42pm CST by Ben Levine

TUESDAY, 4:42pm: Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter links) has the specific details on Smith’s new deal, which includes an $18MM signing bonus and $19MM in fully guaranteed money. The additional $26MM in reported guarantees will become fully guaranteed on the third day of the 2015 league year.

SUNDAY, 6:30pm: The Chiefs have officially announced the extension. General manager John Dorsey also released a statement:

“It was a priority of ours to get this deal done and keep Alex in a Chiefs uniform long-term. Alex is a proven leader on and off the field. He is a special individual with a lot of ability, and we are fortunate to have him here.

“John and his staff along with Tom and his group have worked hard to get this deal done. They’ve done a nice job,” Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid said. “Alex is a smart, talented football player that has adapted well to our offensive scheme. He also, obviously, has had a tremendous amount of success as a quarterback in this league. We as a team are very happy to have Alex as our quarterback moving forward.”

5:47pm: Alex Smith will be the Chiefs quarterback for the foreseeable future, as Terez A. Paylor of The Kansas City Star reports (via Twitter) that the two sides have agreed to a new deal. A league source tells Paylor that the deal is a four-year extension worth $68MM, with $45MM in guarantees. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport confirms the report, tweeting that the Chiefs are finalizing a deal worth about $17MM per season. ProFootballTalk.com reports (via Twitter) that the deal is worth $30MM guaranteed at the time of the signing, with another $15MM vesting next March.

Smith was entering the final year of his contract and was set to earn $7.5MM in 2014. There had been whispers over the past month that the two sides were negotiating, but a report in mid-August suggested that an extension wasn’t close. Smith addressed the rumors twice, stating earlier in the month that he wanted to “play out” his next contract. Last week, the quarterback stated that he didn’t want negotiations to bleed into the regular season.

Smith had a tumultuous career with the 49ers after being selected first-overall in the 2005 draft. However, once Jim Harbaugh took over as coach, Smith showed the potential that had previously warranted such a high draft pick. Smith had success in his final two seasons in San Francisco, but he was shipped to Kansas City following the 2012 season for a second-rounder and another conditional draft choice.

The 30-year-old had arguably his best season in 2013, earning himself his first Pro-Bowl birth. Smith threw for 3,313 yards, connecting on 23 touchdowns and only seven interceptions. Smith also confirmed that he could perform in the postseason, as he threw four touchdowns in the Chiefs 44-45 loss to the Colts.

However, ProFootballFocus’ advanced metrics (subscription required) weren’t as high on Smith’s 2013 season. He ranked as the 20th-best quarterback in the league, coming in just ahead of Ryan Fitzpatrick and Sam Bradford. In fact, Smith rated as a below-average passing quarterback but elite as a running quarterback, which shouldn’t be too surprising since Smith ran for a career-high 431 yards last season.

PFR’s Zach Links took a look at Smith’s extension candidacy in May, predicting that he could receive a contract similar to that of Tony Romo or Jay Cutler. Ultimately, Zach concluded that $18MM per year would be reasonable for a player of Smith’s caliber.

West Notes: Broncos, Quinn, Chiefs, 49ers

September 2nd, 2014 at 2:43pm CST by Luke Adams

Although there was some speculation that the Broncos may face a penalty for potential violations of the league’s Collective Bargaining Agreement by Peyton Manning and offensive coordinator Adam Gase, the league won’t levy any punishment on the club, says Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com. Manning and Gase both visited the University of Alabama in April, and taking a campus visit together would’ve violated the terms of the CBA, but it was determined that the two men took their trips separately.

Let’s round up a few more items from around the NFL’s two West divisions….

Now that J.J. Watt has agreed to a lucrative new contract extension, Rams defensive end Robert Quinn will be among the next high-profile defenders to keep an eye on. According to Albert Breer of NFL Network, when he spoke to Quinn about his contract situation last week, the standout pass rusher said he didn’t want to let it become a distraction and planned to stay in his lane for now. “When the opportunity approaches, I’ll take advantage of it,” Quinn said.
Former third-round pick Brandon Taylor, who was cut by the Chargers back in June, visited the division-rival Chiefs on Monday, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
According to Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith, who agreed to a contract extension with the team over the weekend, getting a long-term deal done with Kansas City was always the goal — it was just a matter of finding a figure that he felt was fair and that didn’t compromise the club’s flexibility too much. B.J. Kissel of KCChiefs.com has the quotes from Smith.
The 49ers worked out a few free agents this week, including fullback J.C. Copeland and defensive backs Rod Sweeting and Chibuikem Okoro, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.

AFC Notes: Alex Smith, Lindell, Ravens, Pats

August 27th, 2014 at 3:20pm CST by Luke Adams

Alex Smith has indicated that he would prefer not to let extension talks bleed into the regular season, but with Week 1 fast approaching and no agreement in place yet, the Chiefs quarterback told Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star yesterday that he didn’t have a specific deadline in mind for ending negotiations.

“I wish I had an answer for you,” Smith said. “I feel like I’ve kind of been locked into games and practicing. With camp winding down here, preseason winding down, certainly we’ll see. But sorry. No answer for you today.”

As we wait to see if Smith and the Chiefs can agree on a new deal before the team begins its season, let’s check in on a few other notes from around the AFC…

We heard yesterday that ex-Cardinals kicker Jay Feely would be working out for the Titans this week, and Alex Marvez of FOX Sports says (via Twitter) that Rian Lindell will also be a part of that audition. Brazilian youngster Maikon Bonani currently sits at the top of the team’s depth chart, but he has yet to attempt a regular-season NFL kick, so Tennessee may be seeking a veteran alternative.
While a deal isn’t necessarily likely, it sounds as if the Ravens are keeping their trade options open, as Aaron Wilson and Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun detail. In the view of Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com, the fact that Baltimore restructured Lardarius Webb‘s deal is notable and could signal that another move is forthcoming, since the team usually tries to avoid reworking contracts.
According to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link), Tom Brady wasn’t overly pleased with the Patriots‘ decision to trade Logan Mankins to Tampa Bay. However, Cole suggests that it should only take a day or two for Brady to move past it.
The Patriots‘ trade of Mankins is the latest example of the lack of sentimentality the team has for its long-tenured veterans, writes Ben Volin of the Boston Globe. Although Mankins probably has some good years left in him, the Pats likely concluded he wasn’t worth carrying on an eight-digit cap number, says Volin.
Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star lays out the pros and cons for the Colts hypothetically signing free agent guard Richie Incognito.
Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News takes a look at Reggie McKenzie‘s track record since joining the Raiders, suggesting that the general manager hasn’t brought in many impact players since taking over the reins.

Alex Smith, Chiefs Still Not Close To Deal

August 13th, 2014 at 5:30pm CST by Zachary Links

There’s mutual interest in a contract extension between the Chiefs and quarterback Alex Smith, but that doesn’t mean an agreement is around the corner. The two sides continue to chat, but a deal still doesn’t seem imminent, according to Alex Marvez of FOX Sports 1 (on Twitter).

Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton recently agreed to a contract extension that many view as a pacesetter for the quarterback middle class and it is widely expected to have an impact on a QB like Smith. However, he recently said that the six-year, $115MM deal doesn’t make sense to him as a baseline since he’s seeking a deal that he will “play out.” Dalton’s deal, while potentially lucrative, allows the Bengals to cut bait midway through the pact with little penalty.

Smith has also rejected Colin Kaepernick‘s deal as a viable comp since he, like Dalton, was still on his rookie contract. Both players ostensibly ceded some long-term benefits in exchange for a 2014 pay bump. Smith probably wouldn’t make that kind of concession since he’s in line to earn a healthy $7.5MM in 2014.

It’s in the Chiefs best interest to work out a new deal with Smith since they’d rather not bid for him on the open market and they probably aren’t eager about franchise tagging him. The franchise tag for a quarterback would cost the Chiefs roughly $18MM in 2015. The Chiefs are willing to cut into their considerable cap space to get something done, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com, but they are wary of making a sizable commitment to an older quarterback. After all, coach Andy Reid has a track record for developing QBs and KC could instead groom a younger, cheaper option for the role at some point.

Alex Smith Wants A Deal He Will “Play Out”

August 9th, 2014 at 5:44pm CST by Rob DiRe

In the wake of Andy Dalton‘s contract extension, Alex Smith and the Chiefs have reopened their own extension talks, writes Tom Pelissero of USA Today. Dalton’s six-year, $115MM extension could have served as the baseline for Smith’s deal, although the 30-year old former first-overall pick might have been in line for a shorter deal. In terms of annual salary, Smith’s value is similar to Dalton’s.

Smith is now on the record saying he would not accept a similar deal. The major reason he would resist is the ability for the Bengals to get out from under the contract each year.

Smith’s replacement in San Francisco Colin Kaepernick and the 49ers agreed on a contract that also served as a pay-as-you-go deal earlier this offseason.

While these deals may make sense for the younger players who are betting on themselves, the older Smith knows this could be his last big contract. If it does not work out with the Chiefs on a pay-as-you-go structure, it is likely one-year deals as a backup the rest of his career. Smith is looking for enough guarantees to keep him in Kansas City for the long haul.

“I want to get something that’s right that I’m going to play out,” said Smith. “Absolutely, and that’s definitely a focus of mine.”

Smith also addressed the contracts signed by Dalton and Kaepernick directly, noting the differences between their situations and his.

“I look at both Andy and Kap and they’re both on their rookie deals,” said Smith. “They’re both second-round picks in the new rookie wage scale, so what were their salaries? It’s a very different situation for me.”

Due to the rookie wage scale, both of those players were set to make a little over $1MM this season. Their deals significantly increased their 2014 salaries, but because of the short term raises the teams were able to grab long term control. Smith was scheduled to make $7.5MM next season, and would be less inclined to sacrifice control long term for a raise in 2014.

While contract talks have been complicated, Smith still hopes the two sides could reach an agreement before the beginning of the regular season.

AFC West Notes: Smith, Houston, Gates

August 5th, 2014 at 4:37pm CST by Luke Adams

Here’s the latest out of the AFC West:

With Alex Smith and Justin Houston both facing potential free agency next March, the Chiefs may have a dilemma on their hands if they have to decide which player to use the franchise tag on, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. As Joel Corry of CBSSports.com observes (via Twitter), Kansas City may not be inclined to franchise either player, since the tags would be very pricey — about $18MM for a quarterback and $14MM for an outside linebacker.
Florio follows up that piece on Smith and Houston by providing an update on Houston’s contract negotiations with the Chiefs. According to PFT’s source, there’s a “huge” gap between Houston’s asking price and Kansas City’s current offer, which was made by the team when the linebacker reported to training camp. The Chiefs may not be eager to break the bank on Houston, since their other starting outside linebacker – Tamba Hali – has an $11MM+ annual cap hit, and the club also invested a 2014 first-round pick on pass rusher Dee Ford.
Robert Klemko of TheMMQB.com believes this will be Antonio Gates’ last year with the Chargers. The longtime San Diego tight end will carry an $8.2MM cap number in 2015, and is being pushed for playing time and targets by 24-year-old Ladarius Green.

Andy Dalton Leftovers: Negotiations, Fallout

August 5th, 2014 at 8:57am CST by Luke Adams

Head coach Marvin Lewis said yesterday that he and the Bengals “never wavered” on making Andy Dalton the team’s long-term quarterback, according to Peter King of TheMMQB.com (Twitter link). Meanwhile, as Coley Harvey of ESPN.com tweets, Bengals owner Mike Smith said at yesterday’s press conference that his daughter, Katie Blackburn, negotiated the quarterback’s deal. Smith has been Cincinnati’s de facto GM for some time, but he has recently let Lewis and Blackburn handle more of the football decisions.

Here are a few more links relating to the fallout of the Dalton deal, including how it could affect other quarterbacks who are extension candidates:

In an extended piece on the Dalton contract at TheMMQB.com, King praises the deal for being team-friendly, allowing the Bengals to evaluate their quarterback for the next two or three years — if he doesn’t eventually achieve playoff success, the club can get out of the pact fairly cheaply and draft a new QB in 2016 or 2017.
King also notes that the pressure is on new Cincinnati offensive coordinator Hue Jackson to max out Dalton’s potential. If Dalton has success under Jackson, it could result in the former Raiders coach getting another opportunity at a head coaching job.
After Dalton signed, Lewis texted A.J. Green encouraging him to tell his agent to get extension talks going with the club, tweets King, adding that the Bengals head coach wants to get the team’s core secured.
While Dalton was eligible for free agency following the 2014 season, Carolina has Cam Newton locked up through 2015, so Dalton’s extension doesn’t mean the Panthers will push to get anything done with their quarterback, writes David Newton of ESPN.com. However, the ESPN scribe wonders if the recent deals for Dalton and Colin Kaepernick will help provide the parameters for Newton’s second contract.
Alex Smith, on the other hand, is heading into 2014 on an expiring contract, but Sam Mellinger of the Kansas City Star doesn’t think Dalton’s deal means a lot for the Chiefs‘ signal-caller. As Mellinger observes, agent Tom Condon isn’t likely to let Kansas City lock up Smith at an overly team-friendly rate — in Mellinger’s view, if the Chiefs try to use the Dalton/Kaepernick framework in negotiations with Smith, it may actually hold up negotiations.

La Canfora On Chiefs, 2011 Draftees, Smith

August 4th, 2014 at 10:59pm CST by Matt Feminis

In his latest edition of training camp notes, CBS’ Jason La Canfora provided an update on negotiations between the Chiefs and Alex Smith, saying talks “are ongoing, with the dialogue maintaining on a regular basis and the team looking for creative ways to secure him for the future, according to several sources. To this point, however, they haven’t been able to bridge a few gaps, but the Chiefs are willing to cut into their considerable cap space to strike a deal, and there are no plans to stop exchanging proposals.”

La Canfora adds talks have “remained cordial” and there is mutual desire to find common ground. Common ground would seem to be a “middle-tier” deal that would place Smith’s contract somewhere between the elite passers and the lower-paid, “bridge starters” group. From the team perspective, the Chiefs don’t want to overpay for Smith in the event a younger QB is ready to vie for the job, especially given Andy Reid‘s ability to develop quarterbacks.

More tidbits from La Canfora:

The Chiefs have revived talks with Justin Houston, who is also a priority. La Canfora does not expect a deal to get hammered out before the season, however, since the sides are far apart financially playing out the season could make the most sense for Houston.
La Canfora publicized first-year tight end Demetrius Harris as a “deep sleeper” and potentially “the next college basketball player to make the jump to tight end.”
Do not expect many more 2011 first-rounders to be extended for a while. This group includes Cam Newton, J.J. Watt, Robert Quinn, Cameron Jordan and Muhammad Wilkerson, among others. La Canfora quoted an agent for one prominent pass rusher, who said, “The money is going to be so high, these teams don’t really have an incentive to do it now. I’m not sure any of these guys get new deals this year. If there’s any movement going on I’m not aware of it.”
Some agents are outraged over the Cowboys’ eight-year extension to Tyron Smith because “he essentially gave the Cowboys two contracts for the price of one, locked up until age 32.” Those agents believe Jerry Jones might have used his “father figure” relationship with the young Smith to take advantage of him in negotiations.

AFC Notes: Alex Smith, Gordon, Raiders

July 30th, 2014 at 4:22pm CST by Luke Adams

Alex Smith and the Chiefs have both expressed optimism about reaching a long-term contract agreement before the 2014 season gets underway, but the quarterback indicated today there will come a time when a resolution must be reached one way or the other, so that it’s not a distraction during the season (link via Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star).

“You’re finally gonna cross a line where it’s like, it’s just football from here on out and I’m done not only talking about it with you guys, but even behind the scenes as well,” Smith said. “We talk about eliminating distractions and that’s a part of it. The focus needs to be on ball.”

Smith didn’t give an indication of when this deadline would arrive, but it’s probably safe to assume that he doesn’t want talks dragging past opening day, which would give the two sides a few more weeks to work something out. Here’s more from across the AFC:

After reports surfaced suggesting Josh Gordon‘s reps would argue that his failed drug test was a result of second-hand smoke, the NFL has countered by pointing out that the agreement in place between the league and NFLPA dictates that players are responsible for what is in their bodies. ESPN.com’s Pat McManamon has the details.
Meanwhile, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes that Gordon’s potential suspension will be an all-or-nothing scenario, since the appeal hearing officer can’t arbitrarily land on a penalty between zero games and a full season. A compromise could still be negotiated, but once the process reaches the point where the hearing officer makes a decision, that ruling will stick.
The owners of nearby franchises weighed in on the Raiders‘ possible interest in San Antonio, with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones not making much of the story (link via Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram), while Texans owner Bob McNair suggested that Texans fans would make up half the crowd at a San Antonio game (link via John McClain of the Houston Chronicle).
Perhaps responding to Mark Davis‘ visit to San Antonio, Oakland mayor Jean Quan took to Twitter last night to announce that the city is “seeing progress” on a new stadium for the Raiders as well as MLB’s Athletics.
After signing an extension through 2015 today, Bills running back Fred Jackson suggested he’d like to play for three or four more seasons, tweets ESPN.com’s Mike Rodak.
Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap is a fan of the Colts’ offseason signing of Hakeem Nicks, identifying the wideout’s contract as the best one on the team’s books. Linebacker Erik Walden gets the dubious honor of least team-friendly deal for Indianapolis, according to Fitzgerald.

West Notes: Lynch, Boone, Smith, Bradford

July 28th, 2014 at 5:54pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Though Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch seems intent on holding out for a new contract, his financial incentive to show up for training camp ramps up tomorrow, writes Terry Blount of ESPN.com. Lynch is currently being fined $30K for each missed practice session, but the more serious penalties can begin Tuesday, the sixth day of Lynch’s absence. The 28-year-old is subject to losing 15% of his signing bonus, which would amount to $900K. For his next 10 absences (starting Tuesday), Lynch could be fined an additional 1% per day. In total, Lynch could lose 25% of his signing bonus, or $1.5MM.

Blount adds that Lynch could lose one regular season game check (for Lynch, roughly $313K) for each preseason game that he misses. However, as Joel Corry of CBS Sports tweets, this particular rule only applies to players who signed as unrestricted free agents. Lynch, whose contract was signed about a week before free agency began in 2012, won’t be affected by this stipulation.

More from the NFL’s two West divisions:

Like Lynch, 49ers guard Alex Boone is in the middle of a holdout, and Bill Williamson of ESPN.com doesn’t expect Boone to show to camp any time soon. The two sides are “far apart” in talks, and because San Francisco isn’t inclined to deal with Boone until he reports to practice, this battle could go on for awhile.
Alex Smith is only signed through 2014, but the Chiefs are hoping to a new deal can be worked out soon. “…[T]here’s communication going on,” head coach Andy Reid told reporters, including the Kansas City Star’s Terez A. Paylor, at a press conference. “They’re working through it so we’ll see what happens. These things take [time]. You know how the game goes. Alex isn’t worried about it and I’m not not worried about it.”
Sam Bradford is facing yet another “make or break” season with the Rams, per USA Today. St. Louis can save almost $13MM by cutting Bradford after 2014.