The Kansas City Chiefs are rolling into the NFL playoffs with homefield advantage and a first-round bye already secured. Having said that, the job of a general manager is never truly done, and KC GM Brett Veach could use this time to try and extend an integral starter that’s expected to hit free agency in 2025.

Pro Football Focus released their list of the top 50 NFL free agents on December 24, and Chiefs right guard Trey Smith ranked second overall.

“Smith’s 80.4 PFF overall grade currently ranks 10th among all guards this season, and he will still be only 25 years old when free agency opens,” PFF explained. “That’s a good combination for a big payday, given that multiple players at the position signed deals at or exceeding $20 million per year in 2024.”

“The complicated element when projecting a contract for Smith is the reason he fell to the end of the sixth round in the 2021 NFL Draft: He was diagnosed with blood clots in his lungs,” the NFL site continued. “On the field, he is every bit of a prized free agent. Factoring in his health is the key question.

Smith has already been highlighted as a potential walk candidate in 2025. The Chiefs will have several big-name free agents hitting the open market in March, and Smith might be the most important one despite his under-the-radar position.

He’s started 76 games since entering the league in 2021, if you include playoffs, and Smith has also obviously been a huge part of the past two Super Bowl titles.

The Chiefs offense is often criticized for its lack of playmakers around Patrick Mahomes, but those critics always forget about his interior offensive line. Although Kansas City has had some trouble at the tackle position, the trio of Smith, Creed Humphrey and Joe Thuney has been the most reliable and dominant in the entire NFL in recent years.

That’s an underrated strength of this roster and the Chiefs would be foolish to let Smith go given his track record at age 25, plus the fact that Thuney could eventually depart or even retire after his contract expires in 2026.

Kansas City is going to lose some players in 2025. It happens every year and there’s really no stopping a minor exodus following the success that they’ve had.

The key is choosing the right free agents and departures.

In 2024, the Chiefs chose to re-sign Chris Jones — no matter what. Even if it meant trading cornerback L’Jarius Sneed and saying goodbye to linebacker Willie Gay or popular offensive lineman Nick Allegretti.

Similarly, retaining Smith at $20 million-plus per year could come with some sacrifices of its own.

Linebacker Nick Bolton could be one of them, or veteran safety Justin Reid. Both team leaders have played well enough to earn paydays elsewhere, along with rotational pass rusher Tershawn Wharton and offensive role players like Justin Watson and Kareem Hunt.

Then there are the bigger names who have had less of an impact so far: DeAndre Hopkins, Hollywood Brown, Charles Omenihu, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Carson Wentz.

Veach has a lot of decisions to make following the postseason, as usual, but bringing back Smith should be at the top of the list. PFF clearly sees his value, ranking him second for the entire FA class — do the Chiefs?