The Chiefs made clear how much they valued Trey Smith when they designated their offensive guard with their franchise tag on Feb. 27. On Sunday, Smith made clear how much he valued Kansas City when he signed that tender. NFL Media insider Ian Rapoport reported the news.

And speaking of value, that one-year franchise-tag contract guarantees Smith $23.4 million in 2025. As Rapoport said Sunday, Smith is now officially the NFL’s highest-paid player at his position.

Considered the most coveted offensive lineman in the free-agent class that can begin negotiating Monday, Smith was even called the top overall free agent by some. Instead, the Chiefs tagged him to buy time while they continue to negotiate a long-term deal with the Pro Bowler.

Smith, 25, benefits financially from the current Collective Bargaining Agreement, which groups lower-paid guards with higher-paid offensive tackles in its franchise-tag criteria. Smith will earn the average of the five highest-paid overall offensive linemen in 2025, rather than simply the five highest-paid guards. While some reported the Chiefs would not tag Smith for that reason, the move shows the Chiefs are committed to planting Smith in front of Patrick Mahomes for at least four more years.

While signing the tender is a positive move, Smith and the Chiefs still have a deadline to reach agreement on a long-term contract. July 15 is the date in which they need to have Smith under a new contract or he would have to play under the $23.4 million salary in 2025. If not under contract by that date, the Chiefs couldn’t extend him until after their final regular-season game.

Originally a sixth-round selection in the 2021 draft, Smith has missed only one start in his first four seasons. And while Kansas City’s porous offensive tackles put Mahomes under unprecedented pressure in 2024, that pressure didn’t come from Smith, center Creed Humphrey or left guard Joe Thuney, who was traded to Chicago last week.

That trio was the NFL’s only three offensive linemen during the regular season to each play 1,000 snaps without allowing a sack.

The last NFL guard to get the franchise tag was Brandon Scherff, who signed his franchise-tag tender with Washington in 2021. Prior to that, the Seahawks made the costly move to place the transition tag on guard Steve Hutchinson, an eventual Hall of Famer, and wound up losing him to Minnesota in 2006.