KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Trey Smith and the Chiefs will remain together beyond the 2025 season as the Pro Bowl right guard and the club reached terms on a contract extension that will make him the highest-paid guard in the NFL.
The two sides are reportedly finalizing a four-year, $94 million deal with $70 million guaranteed, as first reported by ESPN. A team source told Chiefs Digest the details should be finalized by Tuesday’s 3 p.m. CDT deadline.
The $23.5 million annual average of the deal would eclipse the $21 million average for Philadelphia’s Landon Dickerson, and the practically guaranteed money would top the $63 million for Carolina’s Robert Hunt. Smith’s total contract value would fall behind only Atlanta’s Chris Lindstrom ($102.5 million) and Hunt ($100 million), but both of those are five-year deals. For four-year contracts, Smith would top Dickerson’s total of $84 million.
The Chiefs placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on Smith Feb. 27. The 26-year-old signed the $23.402 million one-year tender offer on March 9, tying him to the Chiefs for the 2025 season. Both sides had until 3 p.m. CDT Tuesday to reach terms on a long-term extension; otherwise, Smith could not sign an extension with the club until after the regular season concludes.
Details of Smith’s contract include:
- $17 million signing bonus;
- $250,000 workout bonus per season 2026-28;
- Fully guaranteed 2025 base salary ($10 million) and 2026 base salary ($19.75 million). His 2027 base salary ($23.25 million) becomes fully guaranteed on the third day of the new league year in March 2026;
- 2028 base salary ($23.25 million)
- Salary cap hits:
2025: $14.25 million
2026: $24.25 million
2027: $27.75 million
2028: $27.75 million
Kansas City entered Tuesday with $10.891 million in available cap space according to OverTheCap.com. The NFLPA public salary cap report, which currently only counts the top 51 contracts, showed the Chiefs with $11.257 million in cap space.
Every cap dollar is vital as the Chiefs General Manager Brett Veach now moves forward toward his next priorities — namely, potential extensions for cornerback Trent McDuffie and defensive end George Karlaftis. The club also has a long list of potential free agents in 2026, including Travis Kelce, Hollywood Brown and Charles Omenihu, plus members of the 2022 draft class, including Isiah Pacheco, Bryan Cook, Jaylen Watson, Leo Chenal, Joshua Williams and Nazeeh Johnson
Smith has been a stalwart at right guard for the Chiefs during the past four seasons, missing just one contest in 2022 while playing in 67 regular-season games and 13 postseason contests. He earned his first Pro Bowl nod in 2024 and has won two Super Bowl rings with the Chiefs in four seasons.
The new extension for Smith means the Chiefs now have the highest-paid guard and center in the NFL. Humphrey signed a four-year, $72 million extension with the Chiefs last August that included $50.315 million guaranteed.
Smith has also emerged as a fan favorite since his arrival in Kansas City as a sixth-round selection (No. 226 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. He made a cameo appearance as himself in the 2024 Hallmark Channel Film “Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story,” and he joined Humphrey in a series of commercials for a local barbecue restaurant.
