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Why Laurent Duvernay-Tardif and the Chiefs are a perfect marriage

By Britt Zank

Nov 27, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos inside linebacker Todd Davis (51) and defensive end Derek Wolfe (95) and nose tackle Sylvester Williams (92) run stop at Kansas City Chiefs offensive guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif (76) in the second half at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 27, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos inside linebacker Todd Davis (51) and defensive end Derek Wolfe (95) and nose tackle Sylvester Williams (92) run stop at Kansas City Chiefs offensive guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif (76) in the second half at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 27, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs offensive guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif (76) and center Mitch Morse (61) at the line of scrimmage in the second quarter against the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 27, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs offensive guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif (76) and center Mitch Morse (61) at the line of scrimmage in the second quarter against the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports /

The money involved in the deal is eye-popping. I’m sure nobody had Tardif getting an extension, let alone one with such a high price tag. But everyone should remain calm and take a deep breath on the money issue. Yes it is a lot of money to a guy nobody expected to get it. We still don’t have all the details, but it’s likely to look better for the Chiefs once the dust settles.

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Looking through the lens of total money doesn’t tell the real story, especially in the NFL when few contracts run their full term. The guaranteed total for LDT is $20 million which is likely to tell much more of the story of what he will really get paid over the first few years of the deal. If and when Duvernay-Tardif becomes cost-prohibitive, Dorsey has likely built himself some wiggle room near the end of the deal. LDT will still win because no one even expected him to earn an extension at this point.

In addition, the market for guards will only continue to swell. Lang’s market value according to Spotrac is $8.5 million per year and he isn’t even the top of this class. Kevin Zeitler from the Bengals is looking at getting a contract to be the highest ever for a guard. With another solid season for the Chiefs after another of development, Duvernay-Tardif could have been headed for an even-larger payday. Both sides are betting at this point.

Tardif more than likely wasn’t target number one in this off season by the Chiefs. He for sure was not an important signing to the fans before Monday. But this could turn out to be the best deal of the 2017 off-season. He was the final key in what will now be an offensive line locked in together for four years.

LDT knows Andy’s system and at 26-years-old is still young enough to learn some new tricks. This is a great signing for the future of the Chiefs and their offense. It also doesn’t hurt that he shares an agent with Berry, and this is just the beginning. For me, this starts the Chiefs 2017 off-season and John Dorsey is off to a great start.

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