The Kansas City Chiefs are most concerned about defending their back-to-back Super Bowl titles, but free agency is looming as well.

Though they sit at 10-1, the Chiefs have looked fairly pedestrian at times. They have eight one-score wins, by far the most in the NFL, and their offense has hardly ever looked less dynamic during the Patrick Mahomes era.

Hence, the Chiefs should do all they can to keep the best parts of that offense locked in on long-term contracts. Unfortunately, one of their budding superstars might be out of their price range.

Right guard Trey Smith has been incredible in 2024, setting himself up for a first-career Pro Bowl selection. At age 25, the 6-foot-6, 321-pound monster is going to make a windfall in free agency this spring, and that might not happen for him in Kansas City.

Recently, Kris Knox of Bleacher Report predicted that Smith would walk in free agency, signing with the Arizona Cardinals instead.

“Arizona is projected to have $98 million in effective cap space next offseason, which means general manager Monti Ossenfort can splurge. He should take a long look at Kansas City Chiefs guard Trey Smith, the second-ranked player on the Bleacher Report 2025 free agent board,” Knox said.

“While signing the 25-year-old wouldn’t address Arizona’s biggest needs, it would be a smart long-term move for a franchise just opening its playoff window. Will Hernandez, Evan Brown and Trystan Colon are impending Cardinals free agents.”

Signing Smith is going to be extremely pricy, for the Cardinals or any other team. The five-year, $100 million contract signed by Robert Hunt of the Carolina Panthers will likely be a benchmark set by Smith and his agents as the 25-year-old looks to become the NFL’s highest-paid guard.

The Chiefs will surely make a bid to retain Smith, but with big-money deals littered all over their books, it’s hard to see them outbidding the rest of the league. Unless Smith is somehow willing to take a hometown discount,