Feb. 27 (UPI) — The Kansas City Chiefs are expected to place the franchise tag on Trey Smith, keeping the veteran guard under contract through the 2025-26 campaign.
Sources told NFL Network, ESPN and Fox Sports about the move Thursday.
Smith is set to receive about $24 million next season under the terms of the franchise tag. That salary will make him the highest-paid guard in football, surpassing the Philadelphia Eagles’ Landon Dickerson, who is due an average of $21 million per season.
Smith, 25, joined the Chiefs in the sixth-round of the 2021 NFL Draft. The 6-foot-6, 321-pound offensive lineman started 17 games last season en route to his first Pro Bowl selection.
Smith appeared in 67 games through his first four seasons, missing just one start during that span. He received the 14th-best offensive grade among guards last season, according to Pro Football Focus.
He was on track to be one of the most coveted players in free agency, which will officially start March 12.
