Trey Smith during Trey Smith's football camp hosted at his alma mater University School of Jackson in Jackson, Tenn., on Saturday, June. 21, 2025. Jamar Coach / The Jackson Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

3 Things That Could Happen Without A Trey Smith Extension

Originally posted on Kansas City Chiefs on SI
By Zak Gilbert | Last updated Jul 6, 2025 10:00 AM ET

The Fourth of July has come and gone but Trey Smith’s personal Independence Day is still a possibility. That’s because the Chiefs and the Pro Bowl guard Kansas City’s Pro Bowl guard have yet to agree to terms on a long-term contract extension.

The NFL deadline is July 15. If at 4 p.m. ET on that afternoon the Chiefs and Smith haven’t signed an extension, he’s expected to play the 2025 season on the $23.4-million Franchise Player tender he signed on March 9. And without an extension, he could be an unrestricted free agent in March.

CBA rules would prevent Smith from signing an extension until after the Chiefs’ regular-season finale. That means unless the parties can reach an agreement by Tuesday of next week, Smith’s NFL future will remain in doubt until at least Jan. 4.

#PatrickMahomes & #TreySmith on set for a #StateFarm commercial. Kay Adams was there for an interview. #chiefs #chiefskingdom

: Kay Adams & Denise White pic.twitter.com/j7vtvzHKm3
— Starcade Media (@StarcadeMediaKC) July 3, 2025

Smith is believed to be seeking an extension that would make him the highest-paid guard in the league, surpassing the annual contract values of Philadelphia’s Landon Dickerson ($21 million) and Atlanta’s Chris Lindstrom ($20.5 million).

Obviously, the first thing that could happen without an agreement by July 15 is that the Chiefs could lose one of their two best offensive linemen. Smith would become an unrestricted free agent in mid-March when the new league year begins. Had the Chiefs not designated Smith as their franchise player this past March, Smith reportedly would’ve been the most coveted lineman on the 2025 market.

Former agent Joel Corry said this week that the current holdup in negotiations could be that Smith and his representatives are confident he would command more on the 2026 market than the Chiefs are offering.

“The Chiefs using an extremely player-friendly structure,” Corry wrote, “is probably the best bet to get Smith to accept a deal closer to $21.5 million per year than averaging in the vicinity of his $23.402 million franchise tag.”

And speaking of franchise tags, the second thing that could happen without a signed extension is Kansas City could tag Smith again. However, not only has Kansas City never tagged the same player two years in a row, but tagging Smith again figures to create an awkward dynamic between the parties. Plus, Kansas City may need to use its tag on another player to keep him from hitting free agency in 2026.

The third thing that could happen, probably the most unlikely path, is that Smith and the Chiefs agree on an extension after the regular season ends. Barring serious injury or an unfathomable drop in his on-field performance, Smith will increase his value with every start this season. All agree that the price to retain Smith increases with every passing day between now and the start of the new league year in March.

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This article first appeared on Kansas City Chiefs on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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