John Dorsey and Andy Reid came to Kansas City in February 2013, and the first thing they did was found a quarterback.
The Chiefs held the top-overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft and for the first time in a couple of years there was not a quarterback worth taking. The free agency crop of quarterbacks was also very shallow. If the Chiefs wanted to sign a quarterback headed into the 2013 season the available players included Tim Tebow, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Matt Moore.
Instead of pursuing EJ Manuel or Geno Smith in the draft, the Chiefs chose to trade for Alex Smith from the San Francisco 49ers for two second-round picks. While many Chiefs fans loved the pickup there were many questions on his fit for Reid’s offense. In addition, his contract only had two years remaining.
Smith quickly showed he could run the offense very effectively, posting an 11-4 record in 15 starts while throwing for over 3,200 yards with 23 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Smith was brilliant in the playoffs as well, throwing for 378 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions in a 45-44 loss.
Next: Looking back on 2014