Alex Smith trade rumors: Chiefs quarterback could bring multiple picks in return

According to Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap, Alex Smith could potentially bring back the sort of trade haul the Chiefs spent in the first place.

In the spring of 2013, Kansas City Chiefs general manager John Dorsey shook up the offseason and forthcoming NFL Draft by dealing two second-round picks to the San Francisco 49ers, one in 2013 and another in 2014, for a new starting quarterback in Alex Smith. Five years later, Jason Fitzgerald, the man behind Over the Cap, believes that the Chiefs could potentially recoup the same number and value of draft picks if they were to deal Smith this coming offseason.

When the Chiefs traded for Smith, the former first overall pick in the draft had begun a career turnaround with the Niners but had also yielded his starting spot to Colin Kaepernick. At the time of the trade, Dorsey took some heat for perhaps bidding only against himself at that value. It also didn’t help that a very poor Chiefs team likely needed those two second round picks to find cheap long-term starters at impact positions.

Five seasons later, Smith has been the best Chiefs quarterback in a very, very long time and he’s coming off of the best season of his entire career, setting highs in passing yards (4,042) and touchdowns (26) while tying his career low of interceptions (5). Smith is 50-26 in his regular season career in Kansas City with a 65% completion rate with 102 touchdowns and 33 interceptions.

Financially, he only has a single year left on his contract worth $17 million, making him very affordable at the position while teams would likely try to reach a new extension with him, were he to be traded this offseason. Brett Veach has a serious choice ahead of him this spring of whether or not to unload Smith, but Fitzgerald believes he should be asking for close to what Dorsey paid in 2013.

The idea that the Chiefs could recoup their initial investment seems a bit outrageous given that Smith is now in his mid-thirties. Then again, he’s enjoying his best overall season and is blossoming as a downfield passer and is a tremendous team leader who is professional at all levels. No doubt any new team would enjoy the on-field results as well as the locker room intangibles and leadership if they were to trade for him.

Next: Why Alex Smith will be the Chiefs QB in 2018

Whether or not the Chiefs will want to deal Smith this offseason (and how his market could play out, if so) will be one of the major Chiefs-related storylines to watch this spring in the NFL. While some fans would hate to see Smith leave at this juncture, getting such a haul in return could make for a deal Veach cannot refuse.