The Chiefs ultimately gave up a pair of second-round picks to get quarterback Alex Smith. The question now becomes what they’ll give up to keep him.
Contract discussions continue regarding a new deal for Smith, who is signed through 2014 at a base salary of $7.5 million. He could be in line for twice that annually on a new deal. Appearing with Alex Marvez and Gil Brandt of SiriusXM NFL Radio, G.M. John Dorsey expressed optimism that, in time, a deal will be done.
“We’ve had continual conversations with his representatives,” Dorsey said. “We’re at that point now where we’re going back and forth and eventually, as all negotiations are, there will be a medium point where both sides agree and time will move on and we’ll go to the next project. . . . This thing will go on for a little bit. There’s a degree of patience here. There’s no reason to rush. We haven’t even gotten to rookie minicamp yet.”
The Chiefs currently have extra leverage, because Smith bears the risk of injury impacting his future earning capacity. If a new contract isn’t negotiated by the end of the 2014 season, the leverage swings to Smith.
The ultimate leverage may rest with the Chiefs, who may realize that fifth-round rookie Aaron Murray can get the job done. In the same interview, Dorsey gushed about the former Georgia Bulldog. He would give the Chiefs a much cheaper alternative to Smith, at least through 2016, since no draft pick’s contract may be renegotiated until he has spent three seasons in the league.