Just how good is Alex Smith for the Kansas City Chiefs?

By the start of next season Alex Smith will be 34 years old. It’s hard to imagine a team giving up a high draft pick to pay a 34 year old quarterback almost $17 million even if he is coming off a great season. If you were a fan of the Jaguars would you trade a second round pick for Smith and feel confident that he’ll replicate that success away from Andy Reid and likely learning a new offense? I wouldn’t.

I realize that quarterback is by far the most valuable position in the NFL but I think we have to be realistic here. Alex Smith’s age, contract, and history as more of a game manager than difference maker are all working against the Chiefs getting much in return for him after this season. Teams know that the Chiefs likely won’t keep him on the roster if they are going to move on to Mahomes (more on that in a minute), so they lose some negotiating leverage there. The only real hope they would have is for two teams that think they have a Super Bowl caliber roster but no quarterback to get in a bidding war for him. The problem is that if you look around the NFL its hard to find teams that will fit that description.

Maybe a team like the Houston Texans would be interested if Deshaun Watson looks like he isn’t up for the job this season. The Jaguars will likely be in the market for a quarterback but will they truly believe that Smith is the missing piece to turn them into a contender? The other teams that I can see wanting Smith are teams like the Jets or Bills who may have a new rookie quarterback that they want to mentor and coach up before playing, but those teams aren’t trading high draft picks for a place holder.

I think a realistic trade return for Smith is more likely a fourth or fifth round pick.

Now let’s talk about my final question.