There’s little doubt that Trey Smith will be with the Kansas City Chiefs for the next few years to come. The only question is whether or not he’ll be at mandatory minicamp when the Chiefs call everyone in on June 17.
The team’s annual spring minicamp is set to begin next week, but Smith is a potential exception at this point, a player who is not technically under contract due to not signing the tender offered to him under the franchise tag designation.
That means that Smith is under no obligation to show up. As it turns out, the Chiefs themselves aren’t even sure that he’ll be in attendance.
No one is quite sure whether the Chiefs will see Trey Smith in attendance at mandatory minicamp.
Given that Smith turned in a Pro Bowl-caliber performance in his fourth NFL season, no one in Chiefs Kingdom believes that minicamp is essential to Smith’s production in 2025. He’s a professional player who is going to command over $20 million annually over a new long-term deal that the Chiefs have already stated they’re ready to negotiate.
The Chiefs offensive line, however, is also in a state of flux. They could have two new starters on the left side, and depending on the tackle competition and Jawaan Taylor’s health, there could be a third new first-teamer on the right side as well. Without Joe Thuney, who was dealt this offseason to the Chicago Bears, the unit is also lacking in veteran leadership.
That’s where Smith’s presence could go a long way as he learns to manage a greater mantle of leadership and importance on and off the field.
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid spoke to the media on Thursday as the team’s offseason training activities came near their close. When asked about whether or not Smith would be at minicamp the following week, he didn’t even wager a guess. “We’ll see. I don’t know that, to be honest. We’ll see where it goes,” he said.
It’s possible that Smith shows the Chiefs a gesture of good will and comes to minicamp ready to participate at least in some capacity. It’s also possible that he doesn’t want to risk anything without a new long-term extension and is willing to make a bit of a statement to get it.
Either way, the Chiefs have until July 15 to get a new deal done with Smith before he’ll be forced to play out the season on a costly one-year deal worth $23,402,000. That’s a big hit on the Chiefs’ 2025 cap and lacks the security Smith desires, which makes it pretty easy to guess that something will be done before training camp.
