Clark Hunt: We Hope Alex Smith Longer Than Two Years

Dec 22, 2013; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt watches the team warm up before the game against the Indianapolis Colts at Arrowhead Stadium. The Colts won 23-7. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Alex Smith has the owner in his corner.

In an interview with 810 WHB, Clark Hunt said he was happy with the performance from his quarterback this season and hopes the team can keep him around for more than just two more years.

"“When we made the trade for him a year ago, that was part of the thinking,” Hunt said. “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.”"

For the season, Smith’s numbers were very average. In fifteen starts he posted a 49.43 QBR with 23 touchdowns and 3,313 yards on 60.6 completions. He did have the all important 1.4% interception rate – one of the best in the NFL – and set career marks for touchdown passes, yards, and completions.

What Hunt may be banking on is Smith’s second half improvement. In the last five games of the regular season Smith threw 12 touchdown passes (to only three interceptions), posted a 109.2 quarterback rating, and completed 66.9% of his passes. He also saw an increase in his average yards per pass. This improvement came as the schedule got harder for the Chiefs, too.

His masterwork may have been the playoff game, a game in which he threw four touchdown passes (franchise playoff record), completed 65% of his passes, and accumulated a 119.7 quarterback rating. He did all of that even though Jamaal Charles missed, essentially, the entire game. Those numbers in a playoff game, on the road, and without the team’s best offensive player is pretty impressive.

Hunt seems to think so, too. And if there is anyone Smith wants  to have in his corner, it is the owner.

"“Alex is somebody who demonstrated he could play at a pretty high level with the 49ers the last several years,” Hunt said. “Certainly we were hopeful we would see that version of him. One of the things I enjoyed about the season was watching him get better as we went along, which makes sense. Andy’s offense is pretty complicated, even for someone as bright as Alex. But the longer he played in it, the longer the rest of the team was in this offense, you could see him getting better. I think it’s very exciting for 2014 to see where that offense goes.”"

Smith is owned $7.5 million in 2014, the final year of his three-year contract. Speculation is the Chiefs intend to extend Smith this offseason as opposed to franchising him next year.