On the first day of the Chiefs’ offseason conditioning program, quarterback Alex Smith made it clear that he thinks this team -- this team that went 2-14 last year and earned the first pick in the NFL draft -- can win in 2013.
“I think that’s the case for every NFL team, and if it’s not the case, it’s a problem,” Smith said. “We’re trying to win right now. I think that’s the great thing about the NFL. You’re out there and there are very few perennials. It’s a battle every single year. You can go first to worst, worst to first. There is so much parity across the league. That’s the mindset here, that’s for sure. If it’s not win now, then that’s a problem.”
Some people may think Smith is crazy if he believes the Chiefs can be contenders this year. Then again, those same people probably would have said Smith was crazy if he had said at this time two years ago that the 49ers would be contenders. At that time, the 49ers were coming off a 6-10 season that got coach Mike Singletary fired, and most people viewed the 49ers as a rebuilding team. Instead, Smith led the 49ers to a 13-3 record in 2011.
Will Alex Smith lead the Chiefs to a 13-3 record in 2013? Probably not. But he’s right that if “win now” is not the mindset, the Chiefs have a problem.