Super Bowl 59 between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles is officially one week away as of February 2, and extension talks will ramp up pretty quickly after that.
Starting right guard Trey Smith is expected to be at the top of the Chiefs’ to-do list, considering he will be highly coveted in NFL free agency. Most have estimated that KC could lose Smith to a massive contract, but what if general manager Brett Veach offers him a market value extension before he reaches the open market?
That’s what ESPN NFL insider Dan Graziano suggested could happen during an article on January 29.
“Based on what I’m hearing, it shouldn’t be a problem for the Chiefs to give Smith a deal that at least matches that in terms of annual value and tops the $63 million in guarantees that Robert Hunt got from the [Carolina] Panthers,” Graziano stated.
Predicting that Kansas City would re-sign the integral offensive lineman to a five-year contract worth $105 million. This projected deal would include $64 million in guaranteed money, per Graziano, which “would tie for first among guards in average annual value (AAV).”
Although that contract would reset the guard market in terms of total value and total guaranteed money, it wouldn’t set a new record for AAV — as Graziano noted. Eagles left guard Landon Dickerson currently makes $21 million per season too, but his was only a four-year deal.
How Can Chiefs Afford to Re-Sign Trey Smith Ahead of NFL Free Agency?
Some fans may question how the Chiefs are going to be able to re-sign Smith to a $21 million AAV with approximately $11.504 million in estimated cap space. The answer: Brett Veach.
After the Super Bowl — and hopefully some KC festivities — you’ll likely see the Chiefs GM restructure a few veteran contracts in order to free up more room for Smith, starting with quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Kansas City seems to restructure Mahomes’ very lucrative 10-year deal every offseason, and they can do so again in 2025 according to Over the Cap. Per OTC, the Chiefs can save up to $38.996 million by restructuring the superstar QB’s contract once again.
They could also create another $20.696 million in cap space by restructuring Chris Jones — although that might be a little less likely due to his age and position.
Either way, these are both options, as are alternative contract restructures like right tackle Jawaan Taylor, center Creed Humphrey or minor cap savings such as linebacker Drue Tranquill and defensive end Mike Danna. All in all, those four players combined can free up nearly $19 million if Veach feels he needs it.
That’s almost enough for Smith’s contract projection, assuming the cap hits aren’t weighted, and that’s before you even take into account Mahomes or Jones.
In other words, the Chiefs should have enough room to re-sign their trusty guard as Graziano has been “hearing.”
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