Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs Agree to 4-Year Rookie Contract

The Kansas City Chiefs signed quarterback Patrick Mahomes II to a rookie contract Thursday after trading up in the 2017 NFL draft to select him with the 10th overall pick.

Typically when a team makes a major move in Round 1 it's to select a player they believe can make a serious difference next season. That's not the case for the Chiefs, who are still expected to start veteran signal-caller Alex Smith in 2017.

Instead, Mahomes is an investment in the future, and a costly one at that. Kansas City gave up its first-round picks this year and next year along with a third-round selection this year to move up 17 spots in a draft-day trade with the Buffalo Bills.

The Texas Tech product is coming off a successful collegiate career in the Red Raiders' high-powered offensive attack. He completed 63.5 percent of his throws for 93 touchdowns and 29 interceptions across 32 college games.

He's got a terrific arm that should allow him to make all the NFL throws, even in the cold winter months, and his accuracy made steady improvement during his time at Texas Tech.

His footwork must still become more consistent, especially in terms of stepping up when under pressure, and there will be a learning curve adapting to the pro-style offense in Kansas City.

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said after the pick Mahomes "isn't absolutely ready to play," and he doesn't think the team's bold move will impact Smith, per Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star.

"I don't worry about Alex on this," Reid said. "Alex knows we trust him. Alex is the starting quarterback. Nothing is going to change there. The kid is going to take some time. He understands that. But there's gonna be a day Alex isn't playing anymore and we'll need someone to step in and play."

While the team will hope for a smooth, drama-free transition of power from Smith to Mahomes in the coming years, it's not always that easy. The key question will be what happens if the 32-year-old two-time Pro Bowl selection struggles during the first half of the 2017 campaign.

It's a scenario that could create quite a quandary for the Chiefs considering the amount of assets they gave up to draft Mahomes. Not to mention it's become increasingly rare for a quarterback drafted so high to go through what amounts to a redshirt year as a rookie.

Kansas City will hope for another reliable season from Smith to eliminate the possibility of a quarterback controversy. It wouldn't be a surprise if things got interesting around midseason, though.