Chiefs GM drops ‘no secret’ take on Trey Smith contract negotiations

The Kansas City Chiefs built their dynasty around a core group of individuals in Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Chris Jones and head coach Andy Reid, relying on savvy move-making and sharp talent evaluation to effectively round out championship-caliber rosters. The formula has worked marvelously, as evidenced by three Super Bowl wins in the last six years, but the team has reached a pivotal point.

KC cannot keep everyone who helped the franchise ascend to the top. Sacrifices have to be made regarding the players surrounding the aforementioned core. The most important part of general manager Brett Veach’s job moving forward arguably entails keeping the right guys.

In the beginning of the offseason, the Chiefs prioritized right guard Trey Smith and bid a tough farewell to multi-time All-Pro left guard Joe Thuney. Now, they must solidify that commitment in ink. Once Kansas City slapped a whopping $23.4 million franchise tag on Smith in February, which will make him the highest-paid player at his position next season, a substantial contract extension seemingly became inevitable.

A new deal has not been reached yet, but Veach is confident in the process. He expects negotiations to ramp up following the 2025 NFL Draft.

“Hopefully we get that done,” the three-time title-winning executive said, per NFL.com’s Kevin Patra. “There’s no lack of interest or will or desire on our end. Also, CAA has a ton of draft prospects, and they have a ton going on, so we’ve exchanged multiple phone calls (and) multiple emails.

“My guess is once the draft’s over and our focus is back on taking care of the players that are here and trying to get those guys locked up… There’s no secret there that we’d like to get Trey locked up.”

Chiefs RG Trey Smith came into his own last season

The 2021 sixth-round draft pick is coming off a career campaign after logging 1,115 offensive snaps and allowing zero sacks. He earned a stellar 80.8 run-blocking grade, per Pro Football Focus, and received his first Pro Bowl invitation. Now, Smith expects to be rewarded off the field.

Judging by Brett Veach’s comments, that is what the organization intends to do. Protecting Mahomes is essential and a key reason why the Chiefs won back-to-back championships. Shoring up the offensive line is the front office’s main objective right now.

KC signed left tackle Jaylon Moore to a two-year $30 million contract and could replace Thuney with Kingsley Suamataia or via an incoming rookie. Regardless of how the Chiefs bolster their trenches in the remainder of the offseason, they clearly consider Trey Smith to be an invaluable O-Line presence.

That will become even clearer if and when the two sides agree to an extension.