Kansas City Chiefs: Alex Smith Is Not A Franchise Quarterback

Alex Smith is the best quarterback the Kansas City Chiefs have had since Trent Green, but that is not really saying much.

It just means he is better than guys like Matt Cassel, Damon Huard, Tyler Thigpen, Brodie Croyle, Tyler Palko, and Kyle Orton. Like those before him I firmly believe that Alex Smith will never lead the Chiefs to a playoff victory, and I will continue to believe that until he does something to prove to me otherwise.

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My co-editor Leigh Oleszczak and I have different opinions on this matter and you can read her side here. While I respect Leigh’s opinion, I completely disagree with her.

Alex Smith’s best statistical season came in the 2013 season where he finished with 308 completions on 508 attempts for a 61% completion rate, 3,313 yards, 6.5 avg, 23 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions. Alex Smith’s best game probably also came in the 2013 playoffs against the Colts where he threw for 378 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions, but I think that was a fluke.

If you compare those stats with guys that have proven that they can lead their teams deep into the playoffs like Eli Manning, you notice just how inferior Alex Smith’s best year is to his competition. Eli Manning has finished several years with a favorable stat line to Smith’s, but if you look at probably his best year in 2011 you see what a franchise quarterback is supposed to be. Manning finished with 359 completions on 589 attempts with a 61% completion rate, 4,933 yards, 29 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions.

I understand that stats don’t always tell the full story and for the most part I agree with that, however, you can’t ignore that Smith has not been able to get the job done.

I also understand that Smith doesn’t have great receivers or a great offensive line, but he does have a great running back to take some pressure off of him, and he still can’t get the job done. Smith has routinely missed wide open receivers this season including one in each of the last two weeks on the same exact route down the sideline that would have went for a touchdown.