Alex Smith, Derrick Johnson among Chiefs who deserve Super Bowl ring

Alex Smith

If people are still wondering how the Arrowhead Addict writers feel about Alex Smith, perhaps they simply have not paid enough attention. We have defended Smith’s honor to the core and simultaneously developed a memorable tribute to the man who steered the ship out of the darkest waters of our franchise’s history.

When Smith joined the Chiefs via trade prior to the 2013 season, the team was coming off the franchise’s worst season ever: a 2-14 stinker that secured the number one overall draft pick for Kansas City the following April. All Smith did was engineer a playoff season in 2013 while winning 11 games and radically altering everything about the direction of the franchise.

When the Chiefs drafted Smith’s eventual replacement in 2017, even with the writing on the wall that his days were numbered in Kansas City, Smith, a pro’s pro, mentored Patrick Mahomes into a capable and prepared NFL starter. No one is arguing that Smith gave Mahomes his talent or that Mahomes would have never been good without Smith’s guidance, but even Mahomes has argued that Smith was fundamental to his development and that he would not have excelled so quickly without him.

Smith, along with Andy Reid, were the seeds that sprouted in to the team that won Super Bowl LIV— and he should be honored as such.