One of the reasons why the Chiefs were able to improve from 2-14 to an 11-5 playoff team was the acquisition of quarterback Alex Smith in a trade with the 49ers before the 2013 season.
Smith didn’t set the world on fire, but the Chiefs didn’t need him to carry things offensively with running back Jamaal Charles on the roster. They needed him to take care of the ball, use his legs when the opportunity struck and basically do the same things he did while leading the 49ers to the 2011 NFC Championship Game.
That’s pretty much what Smith did and Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt said that his performance reinforced the feeling that the Chiefs would like him to stick around beyond the final year of his contract in 2014.
“When we made the trade for him a year ago, that was part of the thinking,” Hunt said on 810 WHB, via Adam Teicher of ESPN.com. “I don’t think that thinking has changed. He came in and did a nice job. We’re glad to have him as a part of the Kansas City Chiefs and we hope it’s longer than a two-year stay.”
Hunt said he was happy with the progress he saw from Smith over the course of the season when it came to picking up Andy Reid’s offense, but upside wouldn’t the reason for committing to Smith for more years. It would be a continuation of the kind of efficient play he’s displayed the last few seasons, something that seems to interest the Chiefs as the offseason gets under way.
