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Trey Smith

Chiefs Rumors: Reid, Veach, Mahomes, Smith, Hopkins, Smith-Schuster, Hardman

November 14th, 2024 at 7:40pm CST by Sam Robinson

Establishing himself as one of the NFL’s all-time great head coaches during his time in Kansas City, Andy Reid has also operated as the Chiefs’ lead decision-maker. The 12th-year Chiefs HC retains final say on the team’s roster, though he has ceded some power in recent years.

Reid worked with longtime Packers exec John Dorsey during the first four seasons of his Chiefs run but effectively orchestrated a switch in 2017, with Dorsey being fired and ex-Eagles staffer Brett Veach promoted to the GM role. Veach has been at the helm for all three Chiefs Super Bowl wins during the Patrick Mahomes era, and while Dorsey was at the wheel for the trade-up that secured the QB icon (after drafting future Hall of Famers Travis Kelce and Chris Jones as well), Veach was credited with identifying the Texas Tech prospect as a hopeful Alex Smith successor.

[RELATED: Harrison Butker Likely Headed To IR]

In recent years, Reid is believed to have given Veach more say in roster matters, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes. Not all GM positions are created equal. All answer to owners (or team presidents, in the Packers’ case), while higher-ranking front office types have stood over GMs in the recent past. Some teams still have head coaches installed as their top decision-makers, though this is not the norm anymore. The Patriots and Seahawks ditched their HC-first models this offseason, respectively firing Bill Belichick and Pete Carroll. The Chiefs have been the NFL’s premier team during Mahomes’ QB1 run and obviously have no reason to change their Reid-centered approach.

Veach did pitch the idea of Mahomes’ 10-year extension to CEO Clark Hunt following the 2019 season, Fowler adds; that deal quickly became a team-friendly pact, with the QB market now at $60MM per year. Mahomes is still tied to the $45MM-AAV accord, and while the Chiefs moved money around to help cover the rising market in 2023, they still have the NFL’s most accomplished active QB signed through 2031. The club has used this as a tool to create cap space annually, completing three restructures to inflate Mahomes’ cap figures down the line.

It is true the Chiefs have used Dorsey-drafted cogs as pillars while Veach’s supporting cast has filled in around the Canton-bound mainstays, but the likes of Creed Humphrey, Trey Smith, Nick Bolton and Trent McDuffie have become standouts after being Veach draftees. Veach’s early drafts did not move the needle too far, but his 2021 and ’22 hauls helped form a low-cost core to help support the contracts given to Mahomes, Jones and left guard Joe Thuney. The two-time defending champs will soon face decisions on two members of their standout 2021 class.

Kansas City already paid Humphrey, giving their standout center a deal that topped the center market by a notable margin. Coupled with Jawaan Taylor‘s $20MM-per-year contract already featuring a fully guaranteed 2025 salary, Smith is moving closer to free agency. The Chiefs are still interested in paying Smith, but a re-up for their right guard will be costlier than Humphrey’s, as a fairly wide gap exists between the guard and center markets. Rumblings around the league point to the former sixth-round pick becoming the NFL’s highest-paid guard if he reaches the market, and Fowler adds.

Landon Dickerson‘s $21.5MM-per-year Eagles extension currently tops the guard market, but Smith has been a key part of the Chiefs’ dynasty, having established himself as a Day 1 starter while grading out well in ESPN’s win rate metrics and seeing high Pro Football Focus marks. This has not produced a Pro Bowl yet, but Robert Hunt recently proved no such honors are necessary to fetch a $20MM-per-year guard deal. Smith’s lack of recognition may well change this season, which would further bolster his FA stock.

This year’s round of free agency guard paydays will make Smith tough to keep off the market. Guards are rarely franchise-tagged, due to the tag formula grouping all O-linemen together and thus raising interior blockers’ tender numbers, but the Chiefs could conceivably carve out enough space to cuff Smith with a tag that could cost around $25MM in 2025. The Chiefs are projected to hold just $20MM in cap space, with Bolton unsigned as well. Bolton will not cost as much as Smith to retain, and Kansas City has been more willing to let key defenders walk than cornerstone offensive talent during this run. The Chiefs have expressed interest extending Bolton as well, but the off-ball LB remains on his second-round deal.

Kansas City has allowed defensive regulars to walk frequently during this period, parting ways with the likes of Tyrann Mathieu, Frank Clark, Willie Gay, Juan Thornhill and just about every cornerback to come through under DC Steve Spagnuolo. Bolton has played more than 85% of the Chiefs’ defensive snaps in each of the past three seasons, however. That will create a decision soon. The tag formula also groups on- and off-ball linebackers together. While guard tags have occurred in the recent past (via the Patriots and Thuney and Washington with Brandon Scherff), off-ball LBs are never tagged.

Some in the agent community have not been too fond of the Chiefs for using Mahomes’ team-friendly contract as a talking point during negotiations. It is true Mahomes took less; ditto Kelce. That allowed the Chiefs to give Jones a wildly player-friendly extension this offseason. Agents have pointed to some players being irked by the Chiefs using Mahomes’ contract against them in negotiations. Mahomes and Kelce also have considerable income streams outside of their Chiefs contracts — something most of the team’s other players do not. That certainly impacts a willingness to take hometown discounts.

After clinging to a shaky wide receiver plan last season, the Chiefs indeed poured more resources into their offense this offseason by signing Marquise Brown and drafting Xavier Worthy in the first round. Their plan changed again thanks to the major injuries Brown and Rashee Rice sustained. The Chiefs retained Mecole Hardman, who said (via ESPN.com’s Adam Teicher) he received some outside interest but did not seriously consider leaving Missouri again. Kansas City also re-signed JuJu Smith-Schuster following his Patriots release, turning to their top 2022 wideout in a key role prior to acquiring DeAndre Hopkins.

Prior to obtaining Hopkins from the Titans, SI.com’s Albert Breer notes Veach’s staff approached Reid’s asking whether Hopkins and Smith-Schuster could play together. Week 11 is expected to be the first time Hopkins and Smith-Schuster will suit up together. That marked a key component in moving the Tennessee trade past the goal line, with that deal also illustrating the increased power Veach has assumed since his 2017 promotion.

Veach and Reid secured offseason extensions, with the three Super Bowl wins and four appearances placing the two in commanding position. Veach’s salary within the GM ranks is not known, but Fowler adds Reid is now the NFL’s highest-paid HC at around $20MM per year. Two coaches in Reid’s own division (Jim Harbaugh, Sean Payton) ranking in the top five in coaching salaries undoubtedly helped the Kansas City maestro, with Fowler noting the Chiefs’ latest Reid extension came after two years remained on his previous deal.

Reid’s previous contract had ranked near the bottom of the top 10 among HC salaries. Unlike player deals, teams do not have to disclose these terms. But the Chiefs took care of the architect of their ascent to the league’s mountaintop. Reid, 66, has been linked to retirement for a few years. But the ex-Eagles leader has continued to assure he is not yet strongly considering an exit. Matt Nagy is seen as a potential heir apparent, but the two-time Chiefs OC is also on track to receive outside interest in 2025. That will be an interesting storyline to monitor.

For now, however, the Chiefs’ Reid- and Mahomes-powered machine is still going. Although this year’s squad has offered a high-floor/low-ceiling presentation — thanks to a plus-57 point differential that ranks just ninth in the NFL — the team will chase its 16th consecutive win Sunday against the 8-2 Bills.

Extension Candidate: Trey Smith

October 10th, 2024 at 9:24am CST by Sam Robinson

Bye weeks are known to bring increased attention to extension talks, and the Chiefs enter theirs with multiple candidates on the radar. Weeks after extending Creed Humphrey at a center-record rate, Kansas City remains interested in paying its right guard as well.

Trey Smith is on an expiring contract, and this year’s guard market — along with an NFL resume that includes steady play despite a sixth-round entrance — points to the fourth-year blocker being close to joining an exclusive club. The Chiefs would have loved to pay Smith shortly after they gave Humphrey a four-year, $72MM extension, but ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes the team viewed locking down both as “far too costly.” As it stands, Fowler adds Smith is on track for a deal that will be worth $20MM per year or beyond that point.

A fourth-year starter, Smith emerged as an extension candidate early in training camp. The Chiefs then paid Humphrey at a rate well north of where the center market previously stood. But top guards command more than the best centers. It is safe to say Smith’s second contract, barring a significant injury, will be costlier than Humphrey’s. This introduces a champagne problem of sorts for the two-time reigning champions, who have continued to view Smith as a keeper.

Four guards currently comprise the $20MM-per-year club. Landon Dickerson leads the way at $21MM AAV, while Chris Lindstrom ($20.5MM), Quenton Nelson ($20MM) and Robert Hunt ($20MM) secured these elusive terms as well. As the salary cap continues to rise, it stands to reason this group will expand soon. At 25, Smith is a prime candidate to join the group.

Reaching the market will be his best chance to do so, but the Chiefs’ Humphrey, Joe Thuney and Jawaan Taylor payments illustrate a commitment to paying top-market money for O-line aid. The Chiefs’ 2021 O-line overhaul, after the Buccaneers teed off on Patrick Mahomes in Super Bowl LV, has played a central role in the franchise’s threepeat push.

Commandeering a starting job from the jump despite a blood clot issue dropping him to Round 6 in 2021, Smith has overcome that to start every game he has played with the Chiefs. Having missed only one career game, Smith is building a strong resume toward being a top-flight 2025 free agent. No Pro Bowl invites have come Smith’s way yet; that may well change this season. Pro Football Focus ranks him as the NFL’s fourth-best guard, with he and Thuney each placed in the top five through five games. ESPN’s run block win rate metric places Smith fourth, and the Tennessee alum ranked fourth in pass block win rate among interior O-linemen last season.

Thuney is tied to a five-year, $80MM deal, one that has paid out its guarantees and expires after the 2025 season. With Humphrey paid and Taylor’s 2025 salary guaranteed, the Chiefs may end up with a Thuney-or-Smith decision for next season. Guards are almost never franchise-tagged, due to all O-linemen being grouped together under the tag formula, but Smith stands to be a candidate. Though, the Chiefs, who sit in the bottom 10 in projected 2025 cap space ($27MM-plus), will need to make some adjustments before considering such a move.

Nick Bolton also looms as a Kansas City extension candidate, as the 2021 draft helped form the core of a roster still anchored by John Dorsey-era draftees (Mahomes, Chris Jones, Travis Kelce). Brett Veach‘s top draft to date, however, has seen its lead cogs become quite expensive, as the Humphrey pact showed. Smith will also be more expensive than Bolton to retain, as the ILB market has taken some hits in recent years.

The Chiefs have been able to annually create cap space thanks to Mahomes’ 10-year extension, going to this well three times since the megastar QB signed his deal in 2020. This figures to be an avenue the team explores again, especially as Smith continues to build momentum toward a potential free agency foray.

With Hunt securing $20MM per year on the open market despite zero Pro Bowl nods on his resume, Smith has a path to topping that. The Chiefs hold exclusive negotiating rights with their Day 3 find until March’s legal tampering period. It will be interesting to see what steps they take to make sure he and Humphrey stay together long term.

Chiefs Still Interested In Extending RG Trey Smith

September 11th, 2024 at 4:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

An early-August report indicated the Chiefs had Creed Humphrey and Trey Smith on their extension radar. The two-time defending champions have since given the Pro Bowl center a record-smashing contract, casting some doubt about their ability to keep Smith as well.

Despite Humphrey’s contract, the Chiefs are still interested in paying Smith, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes. Smith joined Humphrey in becoming extension-eligible this year; the former sixth-round pick would stand to be one of 2025’s top free agents, should he reach the market. It will be interesting to see, given the Chiefs’ expenses on offense, if they can prevent that from happening.

Kansas City’s O-line overhaul after Tampa Bay’s pass-rushing rampage in Super Bowl LV featured sweeping success inside and some speedbumps at tackle. Orlando Brown Jr. did not accept a Chiefs extension offer at the 2022 franchise tag deadline, and 2023 RT free agent signing Jawaan Taylor led the NFL in penalties last season. But the Chiefs’ interior O-line makeover has made a considerable difference in the team’s back-to-back Super Bowl wins. GM Brett Veach signed left guard Joe Thuney, drafted Humphrey in Round 2 and then found a gem in Smith a day later.

Smith dropped to Round 6 because of a blood clot issue, but he has missed just one game as a pro. Last season marked a tour de force from the Chiefs’ interior O-line — which was just about their only reliable facet on that side of the ball in 2023 — as ESPN’s pass block win rate metric ranked Thuney, Humphrey and Smith in the top four among interior O-linemen. Smith, 25, ranked fourth in the metric and has seen Pro Football Focus slot him as a top-15 guard in each of his three seasons.

This consistency may make Smith hard to extend. This year’s guard market showed the value in hitting free agency. Robert Hunt broke into the $20MM-per-year club — a four-man contingent currently — among guards, and both Kevin Dotson and Jonah Jackson signed Rams deals worth at least $16MM per year. Smith’s consistency, along with his importance to the Chiefs, should put him in that range. It may well take more than what the Chiefs authorized for Humphrey — four years, $72MM ($50MM guaranteed) — to retain their right guard.

Taylor’s contract includes a fully guaranteed 2025 salary ($20MM); he is not an easy move candidate. Thuney, however, does not have any 2025 guarantees in place. Thuney, 31, is tied to the five-year, $80MM deal he signed in March 2021. That contract calls for a $15.5MM 2025 base salary. A future in which the Chiefs swap out Thuney for Smith as their high-end guard payment would make sense, though the team can still keep going to the Patrick Mahomes restructure well thanks to the western Missouri icon’s outlier 10-year contract. The Chiefs have already restructured Mahomes’ deal three times.

However they choose to manage this situation, the Chiefs are not giving up on keeping both Humphrey and Smith on second contracts. They hold exclusive negotiating rights with the UFA-to-be until the 2025 legal tampering period. Guards are rarely franchise-tagged, due to the tag formula grouping all O-linemen together, but the Chiefs would have that as a last-ditch option if they were dead-set against Smith hitting the market.

Chiefs Eyeing Extensions For C Creed Humphrey, RG Trey Smith, LB Nick Bolton

August 5th, 2024 at 11:11am CST by Adam La Rose

The Chiefs have been busy this offseason with respect to retaining in-house players from the 2023 Super Bowl-winning team. Three key contributors remain as extension priorities ahead of Week 1.

Maintaining a strong trio along the interior offensive line in particular is a top goal for Kansas City. The team is eyeing extensions for center Creed Humphrey and right guard Trey Smith before the start of the campaign, as detailed by The Athletic’s Nate Taylor (subscription required). Both players are entering the final year of their rookie contracts; that is also true of linebacker Nick Bolton, whom Taylor notes is on the Chiefs’ extension list.

“They are three really good players and they’re fantastic people,” general manager Brett Veach said of the trio (via Taylor). “Throughout this camp, hopefully, we’re able to get more than one done. It’s just going to be a systematic approach and exchange of communication. We would want nothing more than for them to be here (long term) and I’m sure they would want nothing more than to be here.”

Humphrey established himself as a top center prospect during his college career, and he has served as a full-time starter since his rookie campaign. The Oklahoma alum was PFF’s top-ranked player at his position during each of his first two seasons in the league, and he drew the fourth-best evaluation in 2023. Humphrey should therefore have a strong chance at topping the center market on a new deal, something which would entail an AAV of $13.5MM or higher.

Smith was a highly-touted prospect coming out of high school, but his college tenure was marked by injuries and blood clot issues. The Tennessee alum’s draft stock took a hit as a result, but things have gone according to plan at the NFL level so far. Smith, 25, has missed only one contest to date with Kansas City. PFF has slotted him between 10th and 15th amongst qualifying guards every year, so he too could command a major raise on his next contract and potentially price himself out of Kansas City.

The guard market has surged in recent years. 2024 saw the number of players earning an average of $20MM or more increase to four, and the Eagles’ Landon Dickerson leads the way at $21MM per season. Given the gap between the guard and center positions, a Smith accord could check in at a higher price tag than a Humphrey extension. The Chiefs’ left guard, Joe Thuney, has two years remaining on his contract and is set to carry a cap hit of just under $27MM in 2024 and ’25.

While that figure will factor into Kansas City’s offensive line planning, it will also need to be taken into account for Bolton. The team’s second-round selection in 2021 has been productive from the start of his Chiefs tenure, reaching triple-digit tackles in each of his first two seasons. Bolton was limited to eight regular season games in 2023 due to a wrist injury, but he was healthy in time for Kansas City’s postseason run.

Willie Gay signed with the Saints this offseason, and his departure created a vacancy in the starting lineup. Drue Tranquill was retained on a three-year deal, though, and he and Bolton will be counted on to remain productive in the middle of the Chiefs’ defense. The latter will help his market value with another productive season in 2024 on a new Kansas City accord (unless an extension is worked out shortly) or one taking him to a new team on the open market.

Taylor names kicker Harrison Butker as another extension candidate for Kansas City. The 29-year-old is set to earn $3.84MM in 2024, the final year of his current deal. A raise could be on tap given his consistency during his Kansas City tenure, although considerable resources will of course be needed to keep as many members of the Humphrey-Smith-Bolton trio as possible. It will be interesting to see how many deals the Chiefs – currently projected to have roughly $13MM in 2025 cap space – work out before the offseason comes to a close.

Latest On Future Of Chiefs’ Offensive Line

July 1st, 2024 at 8:14pm CST by Ben Levine

The Chiefs have gotten remarkable consistency from their interior OL over the past three seasons, but 2024 might mark the trio’s final season together in Kansas City. As Nate Taylor of The Athletic writes, there’s a chance that offensive guard Trey Smith may be entering his final season with the Chiefs.

This prediction says nothing of Smith’s production nor importance to the organization. Smith has graded out as one of Pro Football Focus’ top-15 offensive guards in each of his three NFL seasons, including a 2023 campaign where he ranked 10th among 79 qualifying players. The former sixth-round pick has also avoided injuries, appearing in 60 of 61 possible games between 2021 and 2023 (including playoffs).

So, Smith’s chances of sticking in Kansas City is more a reflection of his upcoming market value. If Smith has another healthy and productive season in 2024, he’ll be setting himself up to be one of the top free agents at his position. He’ll be joining the likes of Sam Cosmi, Quinn Meinerz, and Zack Martin. Robert Hunt joined Chris Lindstrom in the $20MM AAV club among guards this offseason, and there’s a chance Smith could join that grouping in 2025.

The Chiefs could try to squeeze Smith into their future budgets, but as Taylor notes, the team will have other pressing free agency issues. Center Creed Humphrey and linebacker Nick Bolton are also impending free agents, and Taylor suggests the organization may prioritize re-signing that duo over Smith.

Considering the impending free agencies of Smith and Humphrey, there’s a good chance the 2024 season marks the end of the team’s guard and center grouping. Smith, Humphrey, and guard Joe Thuney have been protecting Patrick Mahomes in the majority of his appearances since the 2021 campaign. Thuney is the only one who’s run into any injury issues, and even then, he’s only missed four total games (regular season and playoffs) over that span.

Chargers CB J.C. Jackson To Play Tonight

September 15th, 2022 at 5:51pm CST by Ben Levine

J.C. Jackson will make his Chargers debut tonight. James Palmer of NFL Network reports (on Twitter) that the cornerback will play tonight against the Chiefs.

Jackson was considered a game-time decision coming into Thursday. The offseason acquisition missed Week 1 while recovering from late-August ankle surgery. Palmer notes that the cornerback looked good during practice this week, and he’ll give it a go tonight against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs.

The 26-year-old joined Los Angeles this offseason on a five-year, $82.5MM contract. He’s expected to slide in opposite former second-round pick Asante Samuel Jr. at cornerback. Michael Davis, who got into 100 percent of the Chargers’ defensive snaps in Week 1, will likely see a backup role with Jackson in the lineup.

Jackson spent the first four seasons of his career in New England, evolving from an undrafted rookie into a second-team All-Pro. The cornerback has 25 career interceptions in 62 career games, including 17 picks over the past two years. He also led the league with 23 passes defended in 2021.

Elsewhere on the injury front for Thursday Night Football, Chiefs offensive lineman Trey Smith will play tonight, according to Palmer (via Twitter). The lineman suffered an ankle injury during Kansas City’s Week 1 victory, leading to a questionable designation heading into tonight’s game. After being a limited participant in practice on Tuesday, he was a full participant on Wednesday.

AFC Rumors: Chiefs, Sutton, Harry, Jaguars

July 6th, 2021 at 11:48am CST by Sam Robinson

Following Super Bowl LV’s blocking debacle, the Chiefs moved aggressively to bolster their offensive line. In addition to trading for Orlando Brown Jr. to play left tackle, Kansas City signed Joe Thuney to play left guard, added Kyle Long out of retirement and drafted Trey Smith in the sixth round. Longtime Chiefs right guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif is also back after his opt-out season, and the team placed an original-round RFA tender on Andrew Wylie and re-signed veteran Mike Remmers.

Though Wylie finished the season as an overmatched right tackle against Shaquil Barrett, he has started 35 games for the Chiefs over the past three years. But the Chiefs’ new guard glut now has the former UDFA on the roster bubble, according to Adam Teicher of ESPN.com. Wylie’s best hope is a backup gig, with Teicher adding that it is Smith who is battling Duvernay-Tardif for the Chiefs’ starting right guard job. A blood clot issue hampered Smith at Tennessee, but he bounced back to earn first-team All-SEC acclaim at guard in 2019 and ’20. Smith’s past medical issue damaged his draft stock, but the Chiefs appear to be considering starting two rookies — Smith and second-round center Creed Humphrey — this season.

Here is the latest from around the AFC:

NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/13/21

May 13th, 2021 at 9:33am CST by Zachary Links

Today’s late round signings:

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

  • DT Alim McNeill (third round; North Carolina State)

Green Bay Packers

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Football Team