Trey Smith defies odds with multi-year record-setting extension from Chiefs

What began with a series of question marks has turned into exclamation points with the news that the Kansas City Chiefs have committed to employing starting right guard Trey Smith for the next few seasons. Smith's reps, and the Chiefs have agreed on a four-year contract extension to keep the lineman in K.C. through the 2028 season.

The terms of the deal were not immediately disclosed, but reports had Smith setting new highs in the guard market.

The Chiefs had already utilized their franchise tag on Smith after the salary cap numbers for 2025 came in higher than anticipated. A long-term deal was expected from that point forward given the positive chatter from Brett Veach about the potential of working out a deal and rumors of negotiations during the 2025 NFL Combine.

Given the departure of Joe Thuney this offseason for the Chiefs, Smith's effectiveness and leadership are now vital components along the offensive line.

Smith was a highly-touted offensive lineman in high school in Jackson, Tennessee, earning five-star status. He chose to play college football at the University of Tennessee, where he quickly made an impact as a freshman, earning Freshman All-American honors in 2017.

The Chiefs starting right guard will remain with the team for years to come after entering the NFL as a medical risk.

However, his path was not without obstacles. In 2018, Smith was diagnosed with blood clots in his lungs, a condition that put his football career in jeopardy and caused him to miss the remainder of the season. Despite the seriousness of his condition, Smith worked diligently with medical professionals to manage his health and returned to the field in 2019, showcasing his courage and commitment.

Smith continued to excel upon his return, earning first-team All-SEC honors in both 2019 and 2020. Despite his accolades and body of work, however, the red flags involved kept some teams from putting Smith on their draft board at all and even the Chiefs waited until the sixth round to draft him in 2021.

Fortunately, Smith turned out to be the steal of the entire draft class as a day one starter on the right side. For the last four seasons, Smith has held down the right interior role up front for the Chiefs without fail, proving to be reliable and responsible as he's emerged as one of the league's best young guards, even turning in a Pro Bowl performance in 2024.

Smith was already a proven performer up front for the Chiefs coming into his contract season, but after turning in an elite performance, he's now turning into a household name. The Chiefs are not only rewarding him for a job well done to this point, but are expressing confidence that his best years are ahead of him. The odds were against him coming into the NFL, but Smith's climb to become an elite lineman at the highest level is an already impressive story made even more so.