Andy Reid Says Alex Smith Will Get New Contract

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid appeared on NFL AM this morning and all but guaranteed that QB Alex Smith, for whom the team traded two second-round draft choice for a year ago, will get a new, long-term contract.

“There’s open communication with both parties,” Reid said. “I’m not in that business anymore — that’s John Dorsey’s side of it — but there’s been open communication. I’ve always believed that when there’s open communication good things happen, so I’m sure something will get done. I can’t put a time frame on it, but I’m sure something will get done.”

This is good news for Alex Smith fans. Shortly before the NFL Draft, there were rumors that the team’s contract negotiations with Smith were not going well and that GM John Dorsey was seriously considering selecting a QB in the first round.

Then again, probably more than half of the “reports” we hear leading up to the draft are smokescreens. While it is true that Chiefs may have been having trouble reaching a deal with Smith it doesn’t necessarily mean that they feared the situation was hopeless.

While anything can happen in the NFL, the fact of the matter is that KC gave up a lot to acquire Smith and the veteran signal caller is likely here to stay for the foreseeable future.

Smith’s play improved over the course of last season, culminating in a terrific playoff performance. While the Chiefs lost that game, the blame can hardly be placed on Smith.

The Chiefs are in kind of a tough position with Smith. KC will be facing a much, much more difficult schedule this season. If they lock Smith up now and he proves he isn’t up to the task of beating teams like the Broncos, Seahawks and 49ers, the Chiefs may regret the deal. If, however, the Chiefs wait until after the season to sign Smith and Smith does prove up to the task of taking on the NFL’s elite teams, the Dorsey and company could see their QB’s contract demands rise even higher than they are now.

In the end, the Chiefs need to decide wether or not they think they can win a Super Bowl in the next five or six years with Alex Smith as their QB. If they truly believe they can, then should probably get a deal done now.