Report: Chiefs' Trey Smith to Get Franchise Tag; Long-Term Contract Eyed

The Kansas City Chiefs plan to franchise tag offensive guard Trey Smith for the 2025 season and hope to strike a long-term deal in the future, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

The 25-year-old Smith has played his entire four-year career for the Chiefs, who selected the former Tennessee Volunteer with a sixth-round choice in the 2021 NFL draft. He has started 67 games over four years, helping the Chiefs win three AFC titles and two Super Bowls. Smith also made his first Pro Bowl this past season.

Smith was one of the NFL's better guards in 2024, so it's no surprise that the Chiefs want to keep him.

Per Pro Football Focus, Smith graded as the 14th-best out of 135 guards. He was notably 10th in run-blocking and didn't allow any sacks.

PFF's Mason Cameron previously wrote that Smith was a franchise tag option.

"Currently touted as PFF’s second-ranked free agent, Trey Smith is slated for a sizable payday. Considering that all offensive line positions are calculated in the franchise-tag figure, we rarely see interior linemen receive the designation. The exclusive franchise tag would land north of $23 million, making Smith the highest-paid interior lineman in the NFL," Cameron began.

"The Chiefs aren’t flush with cap space, making this an outside option that would take some maneuvering to facilitate. But Smith is undoubtedly a player worthy of the investment, having earned a 72.0-plus PFF overall grade in each of his first four seasons."

Sure enough, Smith got the franchise tag, keeping him in town for at least one more season.

The question now is whether the Chiefs can keep Smith in town long-term. Surely, his presence on the offensive line is a huge benefit to superstar franchise quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who has benefitted from having one of the game's best O-lines. Smith has played an invaluable role in that regard, so the Chiefs should obviously do all they can to keep him aboard.

In the meantime, the Chiefs have bought themselves some time in hopes of getting that long-term deal done. If Kansas City and Smith strike a deal before July 15 at 4 p.m. ET, the new contract would take the place of a franchise tag. Failing that, Smith is in line to play on the de-facto one-year contract.