If the Chiefs wanted to be any worse than what they are projected at this year, they wouldn’t have done this.  See, when the Chiefs acquired Alex Smith, they didn’t imagine this lasting for two seasons, then him leaving.  He was their franchise guy QB.  He was going to lead them through the good and the bad.

But now, they don’t have to worry about it.  The Chiefs signed Smith to a 4 year, $68 million extension.  The contract includes $45 million guaranteed.  The Chiefs wanted to get it done before the season.  The last thing a player and team wants to do during a season is talk contracts.  It’s a distraction, and could lead to tension between the player and the team.

So is the money right?

Just right.

When Andy Dalton’s extension came out, I wrote about it.  I discussed that Dalton hasn’t necessarily proved himself, and how it would affect Smith’s contract.  I nailed it.  I said Smith deserves $16 million which.  He ended up getting $17 million, which is a million more than Dalton’s per year.

Both contracts are very team friendly.  Smith wanted and got more money, but that has to do with him being a older QB.  Again, Smith has proven himself as a player and leader.  He excels in the Playoffs, and has a very strong arm.  People say he’s a game mannager, he gets lucky with a good team around him.  I’ll tell you this, he would put p the same numbers with a bad team.  You have to have a good QB in this league.  He has to smart, he has to be leader, and he needs to have show you that he can do it.

And he showed it to the Chiefs.

If he didn’t preform as well as he did last year, this wouldn’t of happened.

The Chiefs won’t be as good as they were last year.  They had a helpful schedule which allowed them to start 9-0.  This year it’s a different story.  They play the NFC West, the toughest division in football.  Their own division is rugged, with the Chargers and Broncos.  The Chiefs other opponents include Pittsburgh, Buffalo, New York Jets, Tennessee, and New England.

The defense lost some talent, but even with their injuries last year, they still preformed pretty well.  Dwyane Bowe is suspended for the first game, and the offensive line is not very attractive.  The X-Factor here is Jamal Charles.  He has to stay healthy.  He is the the heart and soul of the offense.   Almost every play they run involves him.

The Chiefs did the right thing.  A QB is so important in this league, and Smith has shown he deserves the money.  Whether he was overpaid or not, that remains to be seen.