It’s the year for Alex Smith to take some risks
By Nick Floyd
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith has a target on his back. Will this finally be the year he proves it’s his team?
The Kansas City Chiefs are on the verge of a huge decision for the 2018 season at the game’s most important position: to stay with current starting quarterback Alex Smith, or let 2017 draft pick Patrick Mahomes take over. While this decision will be hard for general manager John Dorsey and head coach Andy Reid, the real predicament is what it does to Alex Smith.
Smith has seen a lot of success under the coaching of Andy Reid and his time in a Kansas City Chiefs uniform. In four years since taking over the quarterback position, Smith has thrown for 13,566 yard, 76 touchdowns, completing 64% of his passes, with only 28 interceptions.
Even though his stats seem impressive, Smith has been either unwilling or unable to take to the team to the next level. Yes, they won a playoff game in 2015, but they proved unable to finish that sort of important game, illustrated by the loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2016 playoffs.
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This is not the first time Smith has faced the potential of a backup quarterback taking his job. In 2012 Smith was having a stellar year when a young backup named Colin Kaepernick took over for a concussed Smith. This led to his being benched for the remainder of the season and saw Kaepernick lead Smith’s team to the Super Bowl.
While the situation in K.C. is not the same in San Francisco, it has the makings of some potentail déjà vu for Smith. If, for some reason, Smith is injured and the young gunslinger Mahomes takes over, Smith could again find himself again without a starting job. The realization that Smith is a mere injury away from being replaced means that it is time for Smith to do one thing… let it rip.
The time for Alex Smith playing it safe is over. According to Over the Cap, Smith’s cap number in 2018 is a whooping 20.6 million against the cap. The Chiefs, who are already short on cap space as it is, may very well cut Smith after 2017 anyway. Smith needs to not only show that he could still be the man in K.C., but if he is all but gone, he needs to plan ahead.
Smith is an accurate quarterback with one of fastest releases from snap to ball out his hand. He also is not one to put his team in risk. He goes out of his way to protect the ball whether he is running or passing. While this maybe good enough for right now, if he continues to show little improvement he will lose his job.
Smith does not need to throw for 5,000 yards with 50 touchdowns to show his worth. What he does need to do is take calculated risks, air the ball out, and not be afraid to really push the ball through the air. He has shown flashes that he is capable of doing this, and 2017 is finally the year he needs to prove his worth.
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Quarterback Alex Smith has been a good quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs. He came in at the perfect time and brought stability to a position that had struggled for a very long time. If Smith is not capable of showing the team that he can take them where they want to go, it is not a possibility he will lose his job, it’s a fact.
What do you think Addicts? Does Smith deserve a season to show he can bring them to where they want to be or is it time for a change? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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GO CHIEFS!!!!!