Why Did the Kansas City Chiefs Trade Alex Smith?

The Kansas City Chiefs have traded quarterback Alex Smith to the Washington Redskins. Why did they do it?

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The Chiefs Have a New Head Coach

The Kansas City Chiefs made a shocking trade today, sending Alex Smith to the Washington Redskins. This move comes just a day after the Chiefs hired a new head coach, Matt Nagy. So, why did the Chiefs make this move?

The Chiefs hired Andy Reid in 2013

The Kansas City Chiefs hired Andy Reid in 2013. Reid was the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles from 1999 to 2012. In his first season with the Chiefs, Reid led the team to a 9-0 start. The Chiefs went on to win the AFC West with a 11-5 record.

Reid brought in a new offensive coordinator, Doug Pederson

Reid brought in a new offensive coordinator, Doug Pederson, from the Eagles in 2013. The Chiefs went from the worst offense in the NFL the year before to the 12th best in 2013, and then to the 5th best in 2014. Smith flourished in this system, and became one of the best quarterbacks in the league.

The Chiefs Have a New Quarterback

The Chiefs have a new quarterback. The team announced that they have traded Alex Smith to the Washington Redskins. Chiefs coach Andy Reid said in a statement, “We have been evaluating this decision for a long time. It is not an easy one, but we believe it is in the best interests of the Kansas City Chiefs to move on from Alex Smith.”

The Chiefs drafted Patrick Mahomes in 2017

In the 2017 NFL Draft, the Kansas City Chiefs selected Patrick Mahomes out of Texas Tech with the 10th pick in the first round. This was a bit of a surprise to many, as the Chiefs already had a franchise quarterback in Alex Smith. Just one year later, it was even more of a surprise when the Chiefs traded Alex Smith to the Washington Redskins. So, why did the Kansas City Chiefs trade Alex Smith?

Quite simply, the Chiefs made a decision that they believe Patrick Mahomes is a better quarterback than Alex Smith and they wanted to give him an opportunity to be their starter. The Chiefs believe that Mahomes has all of the tools to be a great quarterback in the NFL and they want to see what he can do with a full season as their starter.

It will be interesting to see how Patrick Mahomes does in his first season as the starting quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs. If he is successful, it will likely be because he has better weapons around him than Alex Smith did and because he benefits from playing in Andy Reid’s offense. Only time will tell if Mahomes is truly a better quarterback than Smith, but for now, the Chiefs are taking a chance on their young quarterback and hoping that he can lead them to success in 2018 and beyond.

Mahomes is the future of the franchise

The Chiefs moved up in the 2017 NFL draft to take Mahomes with the 10th overall pick. It was a bold move, as they gave up their first- and third-round picks that year, as well as their first-round pick in 2018, to do it. Mahomes sat behind Smith for his entire rookie season but took over as the starter this past year. He thrived, throwing for 5,097 yards and 50 touchdowns while leading the Chiefs to a 12-4 record and the AFC West title.

The Chiefs Needed to Free Up Cap Space

The Kansas City Chiefs traded quarterback Alex Smith to the Washington Redskins on Tuesday. The move clears $17 million in cap space for the Chiefs, who were projected to be about $10 million over the salary cap before the trade.

The Chiefs are tight against the salary cap

The Kansas City Chiefs are currently tight against the salary cap. In order to create some breathing room, they made the decision to trade away veteran quarterback Alex Smith.

The move will save the Chiefs $17 million against the salary cap in 2018, and $20 million in 2019. It was a tough decision for the organization, but one that needed to be made in order to keep the team competitive going forward.

The Chiefs still have a talented roster, but with limited cap space, they need to be careful with how they spend their money. The trade of Alex Smith should help them create a little bit more flexibility going forward.

Trading Smith freed up $17 million in cap space

The Chiefs needed to free up some salary cap space, and trading Alex Smith helped them do just that. By trading Smith to the Washington Redskins, the Chiefs freed up $17 million in cap space. This will allow the Chiefs to sign some of their key free agents, such as linebacker Dee Ford and safety Eric Berry.

The Chiefs Wanted to Get Something for Smith

The Kansas City Chiefs made the decision to trade Alex Smith because they felt they could get something in return for him. Smith is a good quarterback, but the Chiefs have been struggling recently. They believe that by trading Smith, they will be able to get some much-needed draft picks.

The Chiefs traded Smith to the Washington Redskins

The Chiefs traded Smith to the Washington Redskins on January 30, 2018, in a deal that saw the Chiefs receive cornerback Kendall Fuller and a 2018 third-round draft pick (78th overall) in return. The move came after the Chiefs had signed quarterback Patrick Mahomes to a four-year, $16.4 million contract extension, making him the team’s starting quarterback going forward.

The trade of Smith was widely seen as a move to clear salary cap space for the Chiefs, as they were projected to be over the salary cap by $10 million after signing Mahomes. By trading Smith, who was scheduled to make $17 million in 2018, the Chiefs saved $7 million in salary cap space. The trade also gave the Chiefs an additional draft pick to help rebuild their defense.

The Chiefs received a 2018 third-round draft pick in return

When the Kansas City Chiefs traded Alex Smith to the Washington Redskins, they received a 2018 third-round draft pick in return. That’s not a bad haul for a 34-year-old quarterback who was due to make $17 million in base salary next season.

So why did the Chiefs trade Smith?

It’s simple: They wanted to get something for him before he became a free agent.

The Chiefs could have kept Smith and let him play out the final year of his contract, but they would have gotten nothing in return if he chose to sign with another team in free agency. By trading him now, they at least get something for him.

The Chiefs also created a vacancy at quarterback, which they can fill with someone like Patrick Mahomes or Josh Rosen in the 2018 NFL Draft. Trading Smith gives them a chance to start fresh at the position and build around Mahomes or Rosen for the future.

The Bottom Line

It was time. The Chiefs had their chance to take Mahomes in the 2017 NFL Draft and they pounced. They liked what they saw in him during his rookie season enough to move on from Smith, who they felt was coming to the end of his usefulness.

The Chiefs are moving on from Alex Smith

The Chiefs are moving on from Alex Smith, who has been their starting quarterback since 2013. In exchange for Smith, the Chiefs will receive a 2018 third-round pick and cornerback Kendall Fuller from the Washington Redskins.

The trade cannot become official until the new NFL league year begins on March 14, but it was first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

The Chiefs drafted Patrick Mahomes in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft, and he is expected to be their starting quarterback in 2018.

The trade makes sense for all parties involved

The trade makes sense for all parties involved. For the Chiefs, they get rid of a player that they were not going to re-sign anyways and they acquire a young, promising player in return. For the Redskins, they get a veteran quarterback to lead their team. And for Alex Smith, he gets to go to a team where he has a chance to win a Super Bowl.