The Kansas City Chiefs' deplorable offensive line performance in Super Bowl 59 confirmed that new blood was needed up front, and the possible departure of right guard Trey Smith could make this even more of a concern for an offense that took a step backward in 2024.
Smith is in line for a monster payday in free agency, and there is a very real possibility the former Day 3 steal and top recruit could be on the move as he tries to get as much money as possible. Kansas City's offensive line picture was muddy before, and this could make things even worse.
While second-year fifth-rounder Hunter Nourzad and Mike Caliendo are on the roster as solid depth pieces, Kansas City's best course of action may be to swing for the fences and bring in someone who radiates gold jacket aura.
ESPN is linking the Chiefs to Zack Martin, who could add to a resume that will already get him into Canton by picking up a Super Bowl ring with Kansas City, even if Martin may be inferior to Smith at this point.
Chiefs projected to sign Cowboys guard Zack Martin in free agency
There may be no non-quarterback active player in the league that has more of a slam-dunk Hall of Fame case than Martin. In 11 seasons, Martin has been named a Pro Bowler nine times and was named a first-team All-Pro seven times (he was a second-team All-Pro twice). The only years he wasn't an All-Pro were when he was limited to 10 games by injury.
Signing Martin at this point in his career, with retirement rumors circling, would be much like signing linebacker Bobby Wagner. While their reputation can cloud the judgment of fans and evaluators, both of them are still solid starters in the NFL who can play a role on a championship team.
Unless the Chiefs are so enamored by Nourzad and the rest of their depth that they forgo adding a guard in free agency or the NFL Draft, which is highly unlikely, Martin may be one of the best options available. The guard market is much thinner than it was last year, and Smith being retained seems unlikely.
The Chiefs are always going to be in win-at-all-costs mode as long as Patrick Mahomes is under center, and signing a player with Martin's history would be a much more aggressive move than hoping Nourzad and others can replicate Smith's developmental timeline.
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