The final pass Alex Smith threw this season was an
incompletion over the middle on fourth
down
Will
Harris Jersey , one that would have given the Kansas City Chiefs a chance
to kick a winning field goal had he completed it.
It may ultimately be his final pass with the Chiefs, too.
Smith is under contract next season, but the cash-strapped Chiefs are
expected to trade or release the veteran quarterback and turn the franchise over
to first-round pick Patrick Mahomes II. And if that is the case, Smith¡¯s career
in Kansas City will be summed up by that errant throw over the middle.
He was good enough to lead the Chiefs to the playoffs.
He wasn¡¯t good enough to lead them much farther.
¡±I¡¯ll get into all that in the next couple of weeks,¡± said Smith, who did say
that he wants to remain with Kansas City, but ultimately knows the decision is
out of his hands.
¡±I¡¯m under contract for another
year http://www.lionsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-austin-bryant- jersey ,¡±
he said. ¡±Like I said, I¡¯m not thinking about anything else. Right now, I¡¯m
obviously disappointed. Like I said, I felt like we had a good chance. It¡¯s
gone. It¡¯s over.¡±
As the Chiefs head into the offseason after a 22-21 loss to the Tennessee
Titans on Saturday, a game in which they blew a 21-3 halftime lead, the biggest
question mark becomes their quarterback situation.
Smith certainly made it a tougher decision than most had expected.
He threw for more than 4,000 yards for the first
time Rashan
Gary Jersey , and he had 26 touchdown passes with just five interceptions
during the regular season. He led the Chiefs to back-to-back AFC West titles for
the first time in franchise history, made the playoffs for the fourth time in
five seasons and set all kinds of club records along the way, including pass
attempts and postseason touchdown passes.
Reid has professed his admiration for Smith countless times over the years,
and he was in favor of the trade that brought him to Kansas City from San
Francisco. But the coach is also aware that the NFL is a business, and sometimes
finances dictate difficult decisions.
¡±I can¡¯t get into all that right now,¡± Reid said. ¡±I don¡¯t know. We¡¯ve got to
go back and go through all of that. It¡¯s a long process and surely after that
game isn¡¯t where you go with that.¡±
As the Chiefs head into the offseason, Smith isn¡¯t the only topic of
conversation:
RETIREMENT QUESTIONS: Chiefs linebackers Derrick Johnson and Tamba Hali could
consider hanging it up after another letdown. Johnson still played at a
reasonably high
level http://www.packersauthorizedshops.com/authentic-darnell-sava ge-jr.-jersey ,
and said he¡¯ll head home to Texas and ponder his future, while Hali was reduced
to a part-time role because of his ailing knees. If he does not retire, the
Chiefs will almost certainly release him.
PROMISING YOUNGSTERS: The Chiefs have reason for optimism in that most of
their biggest stars are young. Tyreek Hill had a breakout second season as a
wide receiver, Kareem Hunt led the league in rushing as a rookie and defensive
tackle Chris Jones is an emerging star on the other side of the ball.
COACHING CHANGES: Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy and special teams
coach Dave Toub are expected to interview for head coaching vacancies in
Indianapolis and possibly Chicago. Nagy has become a hot target after taking
over play-calling with great success midway through the season, while Toub had
interviews last season for head coaching vacancies.
DRAFT DEARTH: The Chiefs have traded away many of their future picks to
acquire talent, including their first-round selection this year as part of the
deal that landed Mahomes last year. So, they have only a
second Elgton
Jenkins Jersey , third, fourth and sixth in the upcoming draft, putting
new general manager Brett Veach in quite a predicament as he tries to bolster a
roster that was not quite good enough.
SNAKE-BIT FRANCHISE: Despite all the good that came of this season, the
Chiefs still must feel like they¡¯re a bit cursed. What would have happened had
star safety Eric Berry not been lost for the season in their opener? Or if star
tight end Travis Kelce didn¡¯t go down in the first half against Tennessee with a
concussion? ¡±The tendency is to look back and say, ¡±What happened?¡¯ I don¡¯t
think that¡¯s the way to go about it,¡± offensive lineman Mitchell Schwartz said.
¡±We just have to figure out how to play better.¡±
¡ª
One of the potential complications of an Antonio Brown trade comes from the
belief that Brown will want a new contract as part of his arrival at a new team.
That may not be the case.¡°Not for the money its for the love of the sport!¡±
Brown said on Twitter in response to a question regarding those who think he
wants a new team simply to get a new deal. ¡°The commitment to win relentlessly
consistently passionately! Plus I made 70 million it¡¯s public record not to be
cocky just truth! Time to play for my own Team AB84 the family!¡±Of course, he¡¯s
playing for his own team only if he¡¯s earning maximum revenue. Which would point
to seeking a new deal.If Brown doesn¡¯t want a new
contract http://www.packersauthorizedshops.com/authentic-jace-sternbe rger-jersey ,
his current agreement would be attractive to a new team, at less than $39
million over three years with no guaranteed money.Of course, Brown has every
right two say it¡¯s not about money. Until it eventually is about
money.