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Former Tennessee guard Trey Smith is reportedly taking a major step toward unrestricted free agency.
According to a report from The Athletic’s Nate Taylor, the Kansas City Chiefs are not currently planning to place the franchise tag or the transition tag on Smith. If the 2 sides are unable to reach an agreement on a long-term extension, Smith will hit free agency when it opens on March 12.
Smith has played more than 1,000 snaps for the Chiefs in every season since he was drafted in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. He has started 67 of 68 games for the club. In 2021, he became the 18th player in franchise history to start every regular season game of his rookie season.
During the 2024 season, Smith allowed just 1 sack in more than 770 snaps as a pass-blocker.
In ESPN’s offseason primer last month, Chiefs insider Adam Teicher wrote that Kansas City would like to retain Smith, but it’s “far more likely” he’ll look elsewhere.
The Chiefs already have big money committed to Joe Thuney, Jawaan Taylor, and Creed Humphrey next season. Humphrey just signed a 4-year, $72 million rookie extension last year. But Smith is a 25-year-old Pro Bowl guard, and Taylor wrote that Kansas City could look to make him one of the league’s highest-paid guards.
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Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
