Chiefs Finalizing Four-Year Extension With G Trey Smith

Schultz adds the deal will make him the highest-paid guard in NFL history. 

Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the four-year contract is worth $92 million and includes $70 million guaranteed. 

Kansas City didn’t want to lose Smith given that the offensive line deterioration last year cost them a third straight Super Bowl. However, the only leverage they had to keep him from free agency was the franchise tag and it set up an interesting situation. 

Because the NFL does not distinguish between the different positions for the offensive line tag, the tender for Smith was $23.4 million fully guaranteed — significantly higher than the current top of the guard market paced by Eagles G Landon Dickerson at $21 million a year. 

The tag is usually treated as a floor for average salary on a new deal, so the Chiefs backed themselves into a bit of a negotiating corner. 

Smith, 26, was a two-time first-team All-SEC selection at Tennessee but missed a chunk of his sophomore season due to blood clots. That contributed to him sliding to the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft, where he was selected by the Chiefs. 

He signed a four-year, $3.61 million rookie contract that included a signing bonus of $130,704. Smith made a base salary of $3.366 million in 2024 after qualifying for the Proven Performance Escalator. 

Smith was slated to be an unrestricted free agent in 2025 when the Chiefs placed the franchise tag on him at a sum of $23.4 million. 

In 2024, Smith appeared in all 17 games for the Chiefs and made 17 starts at right guard. Pro Football Focus has him graded as the No. 14 guard out of 77 qualifying players.