KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – Kansas City Chiefs right guard Trey Smith is set to get a significant pay raise for the upcoming 2025 season.
Smith, 25, was placed on the franchise tag by the Chiefs prior to free agency beginning. As a result, he’s set to make more than $23 million on the franchise tag during his fifth season in the league.
But Smith is hopeful for a long-term agreement with the team that drafted him 226th overall in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Monday, Smith appeared on the Up & Adams Show with Kay Adams and shared his hopes after Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins — the only other player to be franchise-tagged this offseason — received a lucrative contract extension.
“Shoutout to Tee Higgins,” Smith said, “really cool to see Tee getting paid. Ultimately, I can only focus on working out and training. I love Kansas City. It’s my home. I love the Chiefs and the fans in Kansas City are some of the best people I’ve ever been around.
“Ultimately, I would love to stay there. That’s my plan.”
The Tennessee product has made $6.5 million through the first four seasons of his career. He’s a one-time Pro Bowler and has been a part of two Chiefs Super Bowl victories.
2x Super Bowl Champ Trey Smith would love to stay in Kansas City with the Chiefs.@heykayadams | @treysmith pic.twitter.com/LesmJTgoLx
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) March 24, 2025
Chiefs general manager Brett Veach chose to keep Smith for the 2025 season and traded left guard Joe Thuney to the Chicago Bears. Whether the Chiefs and Smith are able to come to an agreement before the season begins — or whether the negotiation will begin again next off-season remains to be seen.
