Latest news with #franchiseTag
Al Arabiya
15-07-2025
- Business
- Al Arabiya
Chiefs Beat Franchise Tag Deadline, Sign Guard Trey Smith to a 4-Year, $94M Deal, AP Source Says
The Kansas City Chiefs beat the deadline to sign franchise-tagged guard Trey Smith to a multiyear contract, agreeing to terms Tuesday on a 94 million deal, a person with knowledge of the move told The Associated Press. The four-year contract includes 70 million guaranteed, said the person who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the contract had not been announced. Smith, 26, now has the highest average salary of any player at his position in the NFL at 23.5 million annually. The Chiefs had until 4 p.m. EDT Tuesday to work out a deal beyond this season after giving Smith the franchise tag in March. Smith and franchised Cincinnati receiver Tee Higgins each got a lucrative contract, though the agreements came roughly four months apart. Smith has been a key part of the offensive line protecting two-time MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes since entering the league in 2021 as a sixth-round draft pick out of Tennessee. Smith has started 67 regular-season and 13 playoff games, helping Kansas City win the Super Bowl twice and getting there last season before losing to Philadelphia.
New York Times
14-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
As deadline approaches, Chiefs' Trey Smith remains unsigned: How does NFL's franchise tag work?
The NFL's deadline for franchise-tagged players to sign long-term extensions is Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET, and the future for Kansas City Chiefs right guard Trey Smith remains undetermined. Smith and Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins were the only players placed on franchise tags this offseason, the lowest total in 31 years. But while the Bengals and Higgins agreed on a four-year deal worth $115 million, Smith's long-term contract negotiations remain ongoing. Advertisement In April, Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said he spoke with Smith's agents and hoped to reach an agreement after the NFL Draft. 'Hopefully, we get that done. There's no lack of interest or will or desire on our end,' Veach told reporters. 'My guess is once the draft's over and our focus is back on taking care of the players that are here and trying to get those guys locked up. (Smith's agency) CAA, on their end, they are one of the leading agencies in regards to the players they produce every year, so I'm sure once things settle down on both ends, we'll be in a position to continue this dialogue and hopefully make some progress there. 'There's no secret there that we'd like to get Trey locked up.' Smith, 25, was a sixth-round draft pick by the Chiefs in 2021. He has started every one of the 67 games he's played for Kansas City and has missed only one contest in four seasons. In 2024, Smith allowed a career-low 1.5 sacks and earned his first Pro Bowl selection. Smith skipped all of the Chiefs' OTAs in March but was in attendance for June's mandatory minicamp amid contract negotiations. His presence is crucial as the Chiefs hope to squash the blocking issues along their offensive line that cost them in Super Bowl LIX. A franchise tag is a one-year contract that an NFL team can issue to keep a top player from entering free agency. The tag allows a team to retain a player on a guaranteed deal with a non-negotiated salary. Each team can issue one franchise tag per offseason, and it can only be used on players set to become unrestricted free agents. There are two types of franchise tags: exclusive tags (which prohibit negotiation with other teams) and non-exclusive tags (which allow negotiation, though if the player reaches a deal with a new club, the original team can either match it or refuse and be awarded two first-round picks as compensation). The non-exclusive tag is the more popular option. The salary for players on a non-exclusive franchise tag is pre-determined, using either the average of the top five salaries at the player's position from the previous five years applied to the current salary cap, or giving the player 120 percent of his previous salary, whichever is higher. The two players tagged this offseason were down from an average of 9.2 players tagged from 2020 to 2024. The dip signaled a relatively weak free-agent class and suggested that organizations are becoming more proactive in signing top players to long-term deals. Advertisement If Smith doesn't sign a long-term deal by the deadline, he'll be locked in to play a one-year deal worth $23.402 million. NFL rules prohibit players playing on the franchise tag from negotiating toward a new deal until after the conclusion of the current season, so the Chiefs and Smith's camp would have to wait to return to the negotiation table. Smith is probably hoping to reset the guard market and top the four-year, $84 million deal that Landon Dickerson received from the Philadelphia Eagles in 2023. That contract features an average salary of $21 million per season. Smith — if he does indeed play on the tag — would draw more for that single season than Dickerson's average, and it would benefit the Chiefs to work out a long-term deal rather than have to franchise Smith a second season, which would translate into a $28.082 million salary for 2026. — Mike Jones, senior writer
