With the Kansas City Chiefs coveting Patrick Mahomes' skill set and NFL teams in dire need of a quality starter at quarterback, did Alex Smith play his final game in Arrowhead Stadium last weekend?
According to NFL.com's Ian Rapoport, the Kansas City Chiefs are open to trading Smith this offseason thanks in part to half the teams in the league needing a viable option at starting quarterback.
Kansas City won’t actively seek out trade partners, but they will listen. There is a real chance Smith, who’s set to make $17 million next season, will be dealt for the second time in his career.According to the report, only a Super Bowl run could have prevented the Chiefs from potentially moving on from the NFL’s highest-rated passer.
When Smith was traded from the San Francisco 49ers to the Chiefs in 2013, it wound up being for a price of two second-round picks. Smith could fetch more this time — in part because of his recent success.
Here are five teams that could be in market for the 34-year-old.
Cincinnati Bengals
While still having one of the game’s top receivers to work with in AJ Green along with key additions like Joe Mixon, Smith could be just what the doctor ordered for Marvin Lewis and company.
Arizona Cardinals
With Carson Palmer retiring, Alex Smith could help the team remain contenders in the NFC West while being a good mentor as well.
Denver Broncos
John Elway has already admitted that he blew it for Vance Joseph, but the question remains: could Smith be a stop-gap for Denver, who could draft one of the coveted juniors coming out?
Cleveland Browns
Cleveland needs a quarterback, but do they necessarily want to risk feeding Sam Darnold or Baker Mayfield to the wolves on day 1? Smith has a cap hit of $20.6 million next season. The Browns have a projected $110 million in salary cap space.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville is a playoff team now, but that doesn’t mean Tom Coughlin isn’t tired of the Blake Bortles conundrum. Could Alex Smith help the Jags take the next step while keeping the seat warm for someone younger?
