The front offices of all 32 NFL franchises have a lot of work to do now that the offseason is here. Negotiations, trades, and tough decisions, and if you mess up, you’re cooked for the Super Bowl run. Right now, the Chiefs are also sweating over every decision; One such thing is Nick Bolton’s contract extension and the next is Travis Kelce’s potential retirement. Add Trey Smith’s extension to the list of things piling up.

So, the situation that the Chiefs have here with Smith is that he will hit free agency this year. Considering he has been to Patrick Mahomes like Dr. King Schultz was to Django in the context of protecting him, the team would ideally want to retain him, but the problem is the cap space. The Chiefs have two options: first, they can try to negotiate a long-term contract extension with Smith, and second, they can franchise tag him.

The real issue is the franchise tag. According to The Athletic’s Nate Taylor, the Chiefs are more likely not to use the tag on Smith.

So, the problem with putting a tag on Smith is that the tag value doesn’t work the usual way for guards and centers. If the Chiefs were to franchise tag Smith, they’d have to pay him $25.156 million for one year. That’s because the tag value for guards and centers is based on the average of the top five salaries for all offensive linemen, including high-paid left tackles, who typically make much more than guards.

Tagging him would make no financial sense for KC. So, what are they left with? Well, they either negotiate a long-term extension. Or watch him walk in free agency, where another team might be willing to rain the dollars on him.

Interestingly, Smith entered the NFL in 2021 along with center Creed Humphrey. The two became great friends. In fact, the team signed Humphrey last year to a four-year contract which also included guaranteed money in 2025 and 2026. While many fans would want to see the Chiefs offer Smith a similar contract, it would be interesting to see what the future holds for him.

The player didn’t allow a single sack last season and recorded 655 pass-blocking snaps. He also started 67 of 68 games and so, if the red team intends to provide the best protection for Patrick Mahomes, Smith staying in Kansas is important. “He’s as good as they get,” general manager Brett Veach said just a couple of days before Super Bowl LIX.

USA Today via Reuters

Further, the NFL’s highest-paid guard currently is Atlanta Falcons’ Chris Lindstrom. His $102.5 million in total value and also $20.5 million average salary are the highest in the league. In comparison, Spotrac predicted that Smith could earn a four-year, $78 million deal in free agency. If proven to be true, it would have him stand at the sixth-highest total value amongst guards.

It’s time for Travis Kelce to retire?

Travis Kelce looked quite confident during the pre-Super Bowl conferences in New Orleans. The 35-year-old was sure he would put a new ring on his finger, while reporters were eager to know if Swift was getting one. But then, Philly crashed his confidence – as well as what could have been a perfect moment for Kelce to propose to Swift. Now, there are no Swift or engagement questions. Everybody just wants to know whether the Chiefs’ TE will retire after the shattering loss.

“I know everybody wants to know whether or not I’m playing next year. Right now, I’m just kicking everything down the road… I’m not making any crazy decisions, but right now, the biggest thing is just being there for my teammates and being there for my coaches, understanding that there’s a lot that goes into this thing,” Kelce said on an episode of the New Heights podcast with his brother Jason Kelce.

via Imago

Enter former NFL player Booger McFarland, who has an answer. He thinks it’s time for Travis to retire. “The fact that Travis Kelce, who is a first-ballot Hall of Famer, is thinking about retiring, I think it’s time for him to go on,” said McFarland. Booger had a nine-year career with the Colts and, after retiring, has been working as a broadcaster for ESPN. The former Colts defensive tackle added, “It doesn’t mean that he still doesn’t have some football left. It just means that mentally, if you’re already in that position of retirement, it’s time to go ahead and go. His physical skills are diminishing a little bit. I thought he played his worst football game that I’ve ever seen him play in the Super Bowl.”

So, is it time for Travis to consider hanging up his cleats, or will he take another shot at glory?