Insider: Chiefs Could Let 60-Game Starter Walk After 3-Peat Attempt

Getty Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (left) and right guard Trey Smith (right).

Kansas City Chiefs starting right guard Trey Smith has been a tremendous value for the Chiefs given that he’s entering his fourth season as a full-time starter and is playing on a rookie contract. However, according to The Athletic’s Nate Taylor, Smith’s time in Kansas City could come to an end after the 2024 season.

“The Chiefs have one of the best trios of interior offensive linemen in the league with center Creed Humphrey, All-Pro left guard Joe Thuney and Smith. But this upcoming season could be their final season together,” Taylor wrote on July 1. “Smith is entering the last year of his rookie contract. The Chiefs, understandably, could prioritize retaining Humphrey and linebacker Nick Bolton over Smith, similar to the team re-signing pass rusher Chris Jones over cornerback L’Jarius Sneed. If Smith excels this season, with consistent production while limiting his penalties, he could be the top free agent at his position next season, potentially earning an annual average of more than $20 million.”

Chiefs Cannot Afford to Pay All of Key Pending Free Agents

Taylor is right — Smith might have no choice but to take to free agency in 2025 because the Chiefs have too many players they need to prioritize retaining over him.

Along with Humphrey and Bolton, safety Justin Reid, defensive end Charles Omenihu, wide receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, and kicker Harrison Butker are set to be free agents in 2025. Tack on the fact that Kansas City is projected to have just $13.3 million in cap space next year, per Over The Cap, and there is very little room to retain all of those players let alone a couple of them.

The good news is that, if Smith does test free agency in 2025, he likely will earn a sizable payday.

This offseason, the Carolina Panthers gave guard Robert Hunt a five-year contract worth an average annual value (AAV) of $20 million, and the New England Patriots gave Michael Onwenu a five-year contract with a $19 million AAV. So Smith, who will be one of the free agent guards next offseason, could fetch a contract similar to what Hunt or Onwenu received if the trend of paying for interior offensive line play continues to trend upwards in 2025.

Trey Smith One of NFL’s Top Earners in Performance-Based Pay

In April, the NFL announced the top earners from its Performance-Based Pay program, and Smith was on the list. Smith earned a total of $865,484 from the program, which ranks seventh among all players for the 2023 season.

The program is “created and used as a supplemental form of player compensation based upon a comparison of playing time to salary. Players become eligible to receive a bonus distribution in any regular season in which they play at least one official down.”

Smith played 96% of the team’s offensive snaps during the 2023 season, according to Pro Football Reference. With those snaps, he allowed 34 total quarterback pressures (27 hurries, 5 hits 2 sacks), per PFF.

Smith’s payout from the Performance-Based Pay program is more proof of his exceptional play on the field and why he deserves a big payday in 2025.