Trading Joe Thuney in the offseason seemed to be a necessary evil for the Kansas City Chiefs. As great a player as he was, and as instrumental as he was in the team's success, they needed the financial flexibility. Now, fellow G Trey Smith might have to walk down the same road.
Smith and Creed Humphrey are the only proven veterans in the offensive line. And while rookie OT Josh Simmons looks like a star in the making, he has yet to earn his stripes, and he will miss most of his rookie season.
Then again, given his steep salary and the way things have fared this season, the team's offseason needs, and his rather quiet campaign, Smith might no longer be one of the few untouchable players in Kansas City.
Chiefs Might Have to Trade Trey Smith After 2025 Performance
Smith is a serviceable veteran. His Pro Football Focus grade of 70.2 ranks 22nd among 78 eligible guards this season. He's not as proficient in the running game (65.2, ranking 32nd) as he is in the passing game (73.7, the tenth-highest in the league), but he's still a well-rounded offensive lineman.
That being said, he might be making more money than the Chiefs can afford to pay him right now. He's signed through the 2029 season after receiving a four-year, $94 million contract extension that looks massive now. The Chiefs would save $20 million in cap space by trading him after June 1, all while taking a cap hit of just $4 million.
Of course, that's not to say that he's a liability or the reason why this team struggled to get much going on offense. If anything, not having a feasible replacement for him could be an issue and the reason why the Chiefs might have no choice but to hold onto him.
That being said, the Chiefs will only have roughly 36 players under contract for next season, and with just six draft picks and none after the fifth round, GM Brett Veach will have to do plenty of financial juggling to reinforce the roster.
The Chiefs don't have many valuable trade pieces right now, and those signed to big contracts, such as George Karlaftis or Chris Jones, are coming off a down year, so their trade value shouldn't be high at all right now. It's a shame, and a decision that may come back to hurt them, but the Chiefs may have no choice but to roll the dice and move on from him.