Alex Smith says Jeremy Maclin’s release is “hard to digest”

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith says he’s shocked by the release of Jeremy Maclin and that it’s “hard to digest.”

Kansas City Chiefs starting quarterback Alex Smith spoke to the media on Saturday about the release of wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, and the veteran QB had a tough time staying positive in the face of the shocking news.

“Like I said, [I’m] just shocked. Jeremy’s a great person, a great teammate, a great player, so on all those levels… just trying to let it sink in, I guess,” says Smith.

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Smith mentioned that he had reached out to Maclin after learning of the news, which was shortly after the wide receiver himself had heard from Andy Reid. However, Smith refused to divulge the nature of the message sent. “I shot him a note and I’ll leave that between us,” he said.

What is clear is the respect that Smith has for Maclin as a teammate and a friend. The two have only played together for two seasons, but it’s clear that both have been leaders on the offensive end and that Smith appreciated Maclin’s talents and professionalism on and off the field.

“We’ve both been playing a long time and been around this a long time, so I can get it and you say it is a business and all that. You do hear that, but us as teammates, it’s not. It’s very personal. I was just at his wedding. At the same time, it’s hard to digest. But as I said, we’ve both been around it a long time so you understand how it works.”

Some have pointed to Maclin’s stats from last season as to why the Chiefs might have made the move or why it might not affect much, but Smith says he pushed through a lot of injuries to do what he did for the Chiefs in 2016.

“Jeremy’s been a really good friend and is an amazing teammate. He’s put a lot in, sacrificed a lot, played through a lot last year. He’s a guy who played through a lot of injuries last year and pushed through trying to help this team.”

The Chiefs created $10 million in cap space by releasing Maclin.

Next: Jeremy Maclin's release will cost the Chiefs plenty