For anyone potentially trying to stir up the pot when it comes to Trey Smith’s contract situation with the Kansas City Chiefs, it’ll be harder to do so now that Smith has reported to mandatory minicamp. This is a big deal because, even though Smith has not signed his franchise tender, he’s still chosen to show up and be there for his teammates.

That’s not always the case for players in these situations. A Chiefs player familiar with how contract standoffs work is none other than Chris Jones, who was in this same spot two years ago. Jones wanted a new contract and even sat out Week 1 of the 2023 season to prove how serious he was about getting said contract.

Jones signed a massive five-year deal in the 2024 offseason but now seems to regret the way he handled that situation. Furthermore, he applauded Smith for showing up to camp and joked “It’s good [Smith] didn’t take my approach.”

Chris Jones hints at regret while praising Trey Smith’s camp decision

Jones’ situation was downright messy, that’s for sure. After refusing to play in the season opener against the Detroit Lions (a game that K.C. lost), Jones was given a reworked one-year deal and then hit free agency again following the Chiefs’ Super Bowl LVIII victory over the 49ers. The massive deal he signed last offseason ties him to Kansas City through 2028.

As for Smith, it’d have been easy for him to have stayed away from camp considering he hasn’t signed his franchise tender but he’s showing that he wants a deal to get done between the two sides. The Chiefs showed commitment to keeping Smith long-term by placing the franchise tag on him and freeing up money by trading away Joe Thuney.

The less drama a team has in the offseason, the better, so let’s hope a deal gets done soon. For now though, good for Smith for taking the less dramatic approach here.