The Kansas City Chiefs used the franchise tag on right guard Trey Smith this offseason to prevent him from reaching NFL free agency.

At a time when multiple spots on the Chiefs’ offensive line come with long-term uncertainty, getting an extension done with Smith this year is critical.

In his latest mailbag, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated wrote that while he expects Smith to sign a contract extension, the situation is complicated.

With the increasing rate for the highest-paid NFL players, the franchise tag for offensive linemen exceeds the top AAV for guards.

“The reason why is that the franchise tag for guards is not equal to the tag at other positions—because offensive linemen are grouped together, it’s actually based on what the NFL’s top tackles make. So he’s in a rare spot where his tag number ($23.4 million) is actually higher than the top of the market at his position (Philly’s Landon Dickerson makes $21 million per year).”

Albert Breer on the Trey Smith contract situation with the Kansas City Chiefs

Smith, the 226th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, has thrived with the Chiefs. He earned his first Pro Bowl selection this past season, coming in a contract year.

The 6-foot-6 guard has also proven reliable, starting in 67 games over the last four seasons.

For now, the Chiefs have at least two high-end starters on the interior offensive line.

While Smith and Creed Humphrey are among the best interior linemen in the NFL, Kansas City traded away left guard Joe Thuney.

It creates a potential vulnerability on the interior, given Kingsley Suamataia’s inexperience.

Signing Smith to a long-term deal would ensure at least two spots on the offensive line are locked down for the next three-plus years. Plus, with right tackle Jawaan Taylor likely to be a cap casualty in 2026, Kansas City can safely project having an additional $20 million in cap space next offseason.

The Chiefs will need to find a way to get Smith’s representation down from the $23.4 million AAV he’s playing on under the franchise tag this season if a long-term deal is going to be reached.

With no guard in the NFL making $21 million per season, it’s possible the two sides could find common ground on an extension value at around $22 million annually to split the difference between the tag and positional value.