Chiefs Extend Pro Bowl Guard: Making Him the Highest-Paid Guard In the NFL
Trey Smith has been a stalwart presence on the Kansas City offensive line ever since he was drafted in the sixth round back in 2021. A day one starter, Smith has lined up at guard in every single Chiefs playoff game and all but a single regular season game over the past four seasons. Smith’s efforts on the right side of the trenches paid huge dividends this past season, in particular, earning the 26-year-old his first-ever Pro Bowl honors. With all that in mind, it should come as no surprise at all that the Chiefs and Smith agreed to a contract extension today.
Smith is now the highest-paid guard in the NFL, with his extension set for $94 million over four years, with $70 million guaranteed. Had the Chiefs not extended their dependable RG, he still would have played the 2025 season for Kansas City on the franchise tag. Staying on the tag would have paid Smith $23.4 million for the year, while also asking questions about his long-term future with the team. Instead, this extension means that Smith gets financial and organizational stability over the next four years, while the team retains his impressive services in keeping Patrick Mahomes safe from opposing defenses.
Retaining Smith was the right decision on the part of the Chiefs. Pro Bowl linemen do not just grow on trees in this league, and once a team gets one, retaining their services long term should always be a very high priority. Securing a long-term future for Smith on the Chiefs roster fits in perfectly with Kansas City’s front office’s central strategy this offseason: revamp the offensive line. Chiefs fans, staff, and executives had to watch their franchise QB run for his life against a vaunted Eagles defense during the disastrous showing at Super Bowl LIX. After likely deciding immediately that they never wanted to see such a nightmarish sight again, the powers that be in Kansas City went hard in the offseason, drafting Josh Simmons with their first-round pick on draft night, while also bringing in former Niner Jaylon Moore from free agency. Every season that the Chiefs have Mahomes under center is a season that they are serious championship contenders, and the only way to ensure that Mahomes stays under center is to give him the best offensive line that money can buy. With Smith’s contract secure, the road to another Super Bowl is a little better paved.
