The Chiefs are finalizing a four-year extension with franchise-tagged right guard Trey Smith, according to FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz.
The deal is worth $94M with $70M in guaranteed money, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, keeping Smith as the highest-paid guard in league history. His $23.5M APY is slightly more than his one-year franchise tag and resets the position’s market by $2.5M after the Eagles gave left guard Landon Dickerson $21M per year last offseason. Smith’s total guarantees of $70M will also set a new record by $7M, per OverTheCap, beating out Falcons right guard Chris Lindstrom.
News of the agreement comes mere hours before a 4:00 p.m. ET deadline for tagged players to sign a multi-year deal. With a strong desire to lower Smith’s 2025 cap hit and lock him down for the foreseeable future, the Chiefs finally accomplished their biggest goal of the offseason.
Smith will be under contract through 2028, as will All-Pro center and fellow 2021 draftee Creed Humphrey, who signed a four-year extension last August. Arguably the best guard-center duo on the league, Smith and Humphrey are both the highest-paid players at their position and will form the bedrock of the Kansas City’s offensive line for years to come.
The Chiefs also spent this offseason acquiring potential long-term left tackles to join Smith and Humphrey on the O-line, including veteran free agent signing Jaylon Moore and first-round rookie Josh Simmons. However, the team’s future at left guard and right tackle is less certain. 2023 UDFA Mike Caliendo is the most experienced guard on the roster with just three career starts, while right tackle Jawaan Taylor has struggled to live up to his $80M contract and has no guaranteed money on his deal after this year.
Regardless of who he plays next to, Smith figures to be one of the best blockers in the league for the foreseeable future. He fell into the sixth round of the 2021 draft due to medical concerns about blood clots in his lungs but earned the Chiefs’ starting right guard job as a rookie and never looked back. He has only missed one game due to injury in his four-year NFL career and was selected to his first Pro Bowl in 2024 after giving up only one sack in 1,288 total snaps, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
Smith’s new contract is a final leap in a guard market that has exploded over the last few offseasons. Next up will be Cowboys Pro Bowler Tyler Smith, who is entering the final year of his rookie contract. He could approach Trey Smith‘s $23.5M APY, but other guards up for new deals are either significantly older or significantly less-proven.
