Kansas City Chiefs Quarterback Dilemma: Alex Smith Vs Tony Romo
By Ben Almquist
Kansas City Chiefs Quarterback Options
Alex Smith – Kansas City Chiefs
As the reigning starting quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs, it’s only right that we give Alex Smith the first look. Smith has been with the Chiefs since 2013 when Andy Reid and John Dorsey traded a pair of second round picks to the 49ers for him.
Since coming to the Chiefs, Alex Smith has led the team to nothing but winning seasons. Regardless of anything else, it cannot be overlooked that KC has been no worse than 9-7 with Smith as the quarterback, and only went that low once. The team has made the postseason in three of the four years. Smith has also earned a pair of Pro Bowl appearances while with the Chiefs. He makes very few mistakes and doesn’t turn the ball over, which helps KC win the field position battle consistently.
“We all felt like we had an awesome opportunity and we didn’t get it done. So even more so, let’s press on the gas and let’s go.” ~ Alex Smith on frustrating 2016 and moving forward.
On the downside, Alex Smith doesn’t take a lot of chances. In essence, what makes him a good quarterback is also what prevents him from being a great one. Smith rarely takes shots down the field, though this past season did show an added effort there. It seems everyone would like to see more of a gunslinger mentality from Smith, though it’s unknown how that would effect his ability to protect the ball.
For his own part, Alex Smith understands the frustration. He’s talked about it before, and most recently alluded to it in an interview with the Kansas City Star. Smith told Terez Paylor: “We all felt like we had an awesome opportunity and we didn’t get it done. So even more so, let’s press on the gas and let’s go.”
The Numbers
2013: 308/508 (60.6%) 3,313 yds; 23 TDs; 7 INTs; 76 carries 431 yds; 1 TD
2014: 303/464 (65.3%) 3,265 yds; 18 TDs; 6 INTs; 49 carries 259 yds; 1 TD
2015: 307/470 (65.3%) 3,486 yds; 20 TDs; 7 INTs; 84 carries 498 yds; 2 TD
2016: 328/429 (67.1%) 3,502 yds; 15 TDs; 8 INTs; 48 carries 134 yds; 5 TD
The Contract
Things could certainly be worse for the Kansas City Chiefs. Smith doesn’t put up huge numbers, but he doesn’t give the ball to the defense. There’s a lot to be said about that. From a financial point of view, his price tag isn’t outrageous for a quarterback. It will be tough for someone else to come in and be a clear improvement on Smith for the Chiefs.