How the Kansas City Chiefs can become a “real” Super Bowl contender

Create an Alex Smith contingency plan

As intriguing as it might sound, DeShaun Watson isn’t coming to Kansas City. There aren’t many viable options for replacing Smith in the offseason either. In all likelihood, the Chiefs are stuck with him for at least one more season. That said, it’s time to develop a succession plan for Smith. His glass ceiling was made apparent again in Sunday’s loss to the Steelers. Being efficient is a respectable quality for an NFL quarterback to have.

It pairs well with an opportunistic defense. Unfortunately, the reliance upon errors can and will fail at the most inopportune times. Some teams just aren’t prone to turning the ball over and when they can’t be counted upon, you need a quarterback who can play well consistently enough to close the gap. Alex Smith just isn’t that guy.

That said, I do think he can win on the NFL’s biggest stages given the right set of circumstances. For now, the Chiefs need to capitalize on the productive years he has left, but also identify the player who’ll eventually steal away his job.

Ideally, one without the limitations hampering the offense led by Smith. Given the relative youth of the franchise, the best option would be a drafted player. The 2017 Draft isn’t quarterback rich, but there are a few intriguing options for Kansas City (DeShone Kizer, Mitch Trubisky and Brad Kaaya). If nothing else, an early investment in this year’s draft puts Smith on notice that his game management in Kansas City is on borrowed time.