The Kansas City Chiefs shocked lots of people when they franchised tagged right guard Trey Smith on Thursday. Although general manager Brett Veach hinted that Kansas City would retain Smith earlier in the week, no one expected any type of tag. This stems from the fact he wasn't tagged as soon as the window opened.
Clearly, everyone misjudged the situation because, of course, the Chiefs were going to do everything possible to keep an elite offensive lineman. That said, now Kansas City is in dire need of reworking contracts to open up some cap space.
Spotrac shared a breakdown on X of how they would rework their cap situation to have some money for this offseason. Their steps proposed include converting Patrick Mahomes' roster bonus to a signing bonus (+$25.8M), converting Chris Jones' roster bonus to signing (+$12M), converting Travis Kelce's roster bonus to signing (+$10M) and extending Joe Thuney at 2 yrs, $40M; $20M bonus (+$10M).
"Quick" Cap Fixes for the #Chiefs
— Spotrac (@spotrac) February 27, 2025
Convert Patrick Mahomes' roster bonus to signing (+$25.8M)
Convert Chris Jones' roster bonus to signing (+$12M)
Convert Travis Kelce's roster bonus to signing (+$10M)
Extend Joe Thuney @ 2 yrs, $40M; $20M bonus (+$10M)
The most noteworthy move on that list is extending left guard Joe Thuney. Let's examine why Spotrac believes the Chiefs will extend Thuney.
Spotrac Project Kansas City Will Extend Left Guard Joe Thuney This Offseason
Currently, Thuney's contract is set to expire at the end of next season. The 32-year-old guard has been with the Chiefs since 2021. In four seasons, Thuney has allowed just four sacks, 18 QB hits, 67 QB hurries and 89 QB pressures, according to PFF. Furthermore, he has earned his three career Pro Bowl appearances and his only two first-team All-Pro nominations in Kansas City.
This past season, Thuney was not only an elite guard but also played really well at tackle. Kansas City was forced to play the 32-year-old at tackle simply to protect Patrick Mahomes. While the Super Bowl showed why he belongs on the interior, he can hold his own at tackle. That versatility and willingness to do whatever the team needs is the reason why the franchise named him their most valuable player in 2024.
So, it's no surprise that Spotrac believes Thuney is due a new contract. Nevertheless, at 32 years old, there's no guarantee he will want to play past 2025 even though it does feel likely given his level of play. Therefore, it might be smarter for Kansas City to wait until at least the midway point of next season to begin extension talks with Thuney.
Ultimately, whatever Veach decides regarding Thuney, Chiefs fans will fully support it.