No one within the Kansas City Chiefs’ organization is as happy as Patrick Mahomes that Trey Smith, the Pro Bowl guard, is staying in Kansas City. The Chiefs waited until the 11th hour, but they got a deal done, keeping Smith in Kansas City on a four-year, $92 million deal with $70 million guaranteed; it’s the richest contract for a guard in NFL history.

The Chiefs got the deal done just hours before the franchise tag deadline. Making Smith the richest guard, but more importantly, anchoring the offensive line for Mahomes means the Chiefs did exactly what they needed to this offseason.

Having an elite offensive line is critical to success and will be even more important this season for the Chiefs heading into this season. They came up short in the Super Bowl last year after getting manhandled in the trenches by the Philadelphia Eagles defensive line. They saw a depleted offensive line won’t work if they want to keep their dynasty alive and well.

Kansas City Chiefs learn valuable lesson after miserable 2024 season from offensive line

Statistically speaking, 2024 was probably Mahomes’ worst. While it would be easy to blame him for that, in actuality, it falls on the miserable play from the offensive line. Mahomes was sacked 36 times last year, the most of his career. He was sacked an additional 11 times in three postseason games, including six times in the Super Bowl.

That’s why this Chiefs team got blown out in the Super Bowl. It’s also why they made Smith the highest paid guard in NFL history and why they spent the bulk of their offseason making sure Mahomes doesn’t get slapped around like he did in 2024.

Along with Smith’s addition, the Chiefs also drafted tackle Josh Simmons from Ohio State and brought in Jaylon Moore. Kansas City doesn’t want the same problems it had last year. Not with Travis Kelce in the twilight years of his career, Mahomes well into his prime and the core of this team ready for another championship run.

Nothing is guaranteed. But the Chiefs did everything they could to fortify this offensive line and put them in position to compete next year and keep Mahomes upright. The last two years is the first time Mahomes had less than 30 passing touchdowns in the regular season since 2019. If the Chiefs want to get Mahomes back to his elite level and this team back at the top of the NFL, getting their offensive line together was the way to go.

Mahomes simply tweeting an aggressively smiling emoji after Smith’s signing is proof, the Chiefs knew exactly what he needed to get back to his elite form.