Chiefs not using tags magnifies cap limitations

Offensive guard Trey Smith was the popular candidate to receive either the franchise or transition tag by Kansas City. 

However, this news eviscerates that, as the former 2021 sixth-round pick is expected to reset the market, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

“The Chiefs would love to sign Smith but know that will be tough,” Fowler wrote on Nov. 13. “In fact, there’s an expectation that Smith could become the highest-paid guard in the NFL. The top of the market currently sits at $21.5 million per year, and the Chiefs are bracing for life without him because of that price.”

Smith is only 25 years old and will turn 26 before the start of the 2025 season.

So, what does this mean for Kansas City and the future of some key players, who have been monumental in the team’s dynastic run over the last few seasons?

Even before this report surfaced, it was unlikely Kansas City would be able to retain Smith, but a tag-and-trade was certainly a possibility.

The fact that early indications are the Chiefs are unlikely to exercise the tags on Smith in particular, hints that the team may have cheaper alternatives at the position.

Zack Martin, Brandon Scherff and Kevin Zeitler are all options Kansas City could consider in free agency. Each of these players is 34-35 years old, but they can still prove to be productive assets at a cheap price. The Chiefs could also turn to the draft to fill the position or insert Kingsley Suamataia at right guard.

Tagging Smith would cost $25.1 million towards the 2025 cap space, putting the Chiefs more in a bind. Even if Kansas City were to move Smith relatively quickly, the team simply cannot afford to have that on the books at this time. 

Smith will not be part of the Chiefs’ future, and if this report comes to fruition, the Chiefs will allow Smith to walk in free agency with no draft compensation in return in a potential trade.

Another player who could have been a candidate for either of these designations is Nick Bolton.

The 24-year-old linebacker is another key player set to hit free agency. Kansas City may be able to keep the former Missouri linebacker, but it seems it has to be through a new multi-year contract.

Regardless, these two players’ futures in Kansas City are murky, and with the Chiefs’ cap space constraints, it is going to be impossible to keep both.