Clock Is Ticking for Chiefs to Lock Up Trey Smith

Deadlines generally spur action in the NFL. And as the league approaches its quietest point of the calendar year, the Chiefs have 31 days to make some noise.

Pro Bowl guard Trey Smith is the NFL’s only franchise player after Cincinnati’s Tee Higgins agreed to terms on a four-year, $115-million extension in March. While Smith signed his one-year franchise tender on March 9, guaranteeing him $23.4 million this season, the Chiefs are staring at a July 15 deadline to convert him to a long-term extension.

Getting him under contract in March was a positive development and bought months of negotiating time, but failing to agree to terms on a new deal by July 15 would be a step back. Without a new contract, Smith would be locked into the one-year franchise deal, prescribed by the CBA, and the Chiefs couldn’t extend him until after their final regular-season game.

His price isn’t likely to go down. Insider Ari Meirov said Friday the Chiefs will revisit talks with Smith and his representatives during that down period, following the team’s July 17-19 mandatory minicamp.

Cornerback Trent McDuffie and defensive end George Karlaftis are also due for extensions, but Smith’s negotiations are likely top priority due to the July 15 deadline.

Kansas City has traditionally used training camp to sign its star players entering their fourth seasons. Look for McDuffie, Karlaftis and the Chiefs to attempt to work out their future in Kansas City this August. Creed Humphrey, for example, became the highest-paid center in league history when he signed a four-year, $72-million extension on Aug. 22 last year.

Humphrey’s neighbor on the Chiefs’ line is Smith, who has missed just one start in his first four seasons. A sixth-round selection in the 2021 draft, Smith wasn’t the reason Patrick Mahomes was under unprecedented pressure last year.

Smith was considered the best offensive lineman due to hit free agency in March before the Chiefs designated him their franchise player and took him off the market.

Besides Smith, McDuffie and Karlaftis, a long list of players are due for extensions this summer. According to Meirov, that list includes T.J. Watt, Trey Hendrickson, Terry McLaurin, Courtland Sutton, Garrett Wilson, Drake London, Rashawn Slater, Colton Miller, Tyler Linderbaum, Kyle Hamilton, Nik Bonitto, Zach Allen and Brandon Aubrey.

“End of July is when things really pick up,” Meirov said. “We start getting this flurry of extensions. Those who are not done, that's when we start getting those hold-ins, training camp, and those types of things.

“That's going to be a topic as well over the next several weeks. Some negotiations have started, and they'll take a bit of a break, but eventually, it's going to pick up again, and we're going to have a flurry of big deals over the coming weeks.”

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