Alex Smith Trade Rumors: Chiefs Will Listen to Offers After 2017-18 Season

The Kansas City Chiefs reportedly will entertain trade offers for starting quarterback Alex Smith after the 2017 season, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.

Schefter wrote, "With the play of rookie Patrick Mahomes II in training camp, it was thought that the Chiefs would have entertained offers for Smith this summer, but no team stepped up to make a deal happen," adding, "Smith has said that he thinks this will be his last year in Kansas City."

Indeed, the future in Kansas City is Mahomes after the Chiefs traded a 2017 first-rounder and 2018 first- and third-rounders to move up to No. 10 in this year's draft to select him. 

But Smith, 33, could be a very nice trade chip for the team after the season if he's deemed expendable by Kansas City and Mahomes is considered ready to take over as the starter. 

He was a steadying presence for the team's offense in 2016, finishing with 3,502 yards, 15 touchdowns and eight interceptions while completing 67.1 percent of his passes. He also rushed for five scores. It was his third straight season with at least 3,200 passing yards, fewer than 10 interceptions and a completion percentage of 65 percent or higher.

He's also due an affordable $14.5 million next season, reasonable by quarterback standards, and started the 2017 season with a bang, throwing for 368 yards and four touchdowns in Week 1 against the New England Patriots.

For teams seeking a veteran to fill out the position, Smith is an excellent option. And his value will only rise if he's able to lead the Chiefs to another postseason berth and a long playoff run this season. On the other hand, that could convince Kansas City to hold onto Smith for one last season in 2018 and allow Mahomes another year to learn from the sidelines.