6 months ago
4
ESPN
Jul 15, 2025, 01:49 PM ET
Pro Bowl defender Trey Smith and the Kansas City Chiefs reached statement up of Tuesday's franchise-tag deadline connected a four-year, $94 cardinal woody that includes $70 cardinal guaranteed and makes him the highest-paid defender successful NFL history, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter and Nate Taylor.
It's the highest mean yearly wage and the astir guaranteed wealth ever awarded to an NFL guard.
With Trey Smith and Creed Humphrey, the Chiefs present person the NFL's highest-paid defender and center. Humphrey's woody included $50.3 cardinal guaranteed.
Smith, 26, joined the Chiefs arsenic a sixth-round draught prime successful 2021 retired of Tennessee.
Like galore teams, the Chiefs had a overmuch higher draught people connected Smith but didn't prime him until the sixth circular due to the fact that of concerns implicit a blood-clot contented successful his lungs portion successful college. But Smith instantly took implicit astatine close defender for Kansas City, starting 67 of a imaginable 68 regular-season games successful his 4 years. He besides hasn't missed a commencement successful 13 postseason games.
In 2024, Smith ranked 13th among guards successful walk artifact triumph complaint (93.9%) and sixth successful tally artifact triumph complaint (career-high 75.1%). He allowed conscionable 1.5 sacks, per NFL Next Gen Stats, and committed conscionable 2 penalties. He was rewarded with his archetypal Pro Bowl nod.
The erstwhile 3 seasons, Smith finished successful the apical 4 successful walk unreserved triumph complaint among guards, including 2nd successful some 2021 (96.0%) and 2023 (96.6%).
