As training camp approaches, so does July 15’s deadline for the Chiefs to strike a deal with RG Trey Smith.
NFL training camps will be here before anyone knows it, meaning the league is one step closer to real games being played. With that, though, also comes a significant deadline for some teams and their star players. The Kansas City Chiefs, specifically, are acutely aware of what that entails.
Right guard Trey Smith remains unsigned long-term, as he’s instead sitting on the $23.4 million 2025-26 franchise tag. The game of dollars and cents is growing more intense by the second; Kansas City has until 4:00 p.m. ET on July 15 to strike an agreement with his camp on a multiyear contract extension.
With that timeline in mind, former NFL agent Joel Corry expanded on the situation in a July 2 article for CBS Sports. Corry notes that if no contract is signed soon, it’ll have to wait until the regular season ends. He also dove into how much an extension could cost the Chiefs given that time is ticking.
The offensive guard marketplace is telling. Occupying the highest total value is Chris Lindstrom of the Atlanta Falcons at $102.5M. In terms of guaranteed money, Carolina Panthers standout Robert Hunt takes the cake at $63M. Smith paces the field in average annual value (AAV) on the aforementioned tag, with Landon Dickerson of the Philadelphia Eagles being in second place at $21M.
Corry, emphasizing the need to consider recent market dynamics, other in-house extensions and potential “record-setting guarantees,” reveals the potential path for Smith leaving the franchise tag behind and inking a new contract.
“To turn down a four-year, $86 million contract, averaging $21.5 million per year, Smith’s camp would have to feel confident that he could command at least $62.598 million over three years for a $20.866 million average yearly salary next year on the open market,” Corry wrote. “That’s the break-even point with this $21.5 million-per-year deal after playing the 2025 season under a $23.402 million franchise tag. The Chiefs using an extremely player-friendly structure is probably the best bet to get Smith to accept a deal closer to $21.5 million per year than averaging in the vicinity of his $23.402 million franchise tag.”
