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Alex Smith has raised his level of play immensely this year, he is a completely different QB from what we have seen in this past. The big issue raised with him was the arm strength in that he could not throw deep balls and he is a game manager QB. With playmakers like Hill and Kelce available, he has thrown a lot of deep balls this year. His overall improved play could be attributed to improved play calling, continuity with offensive coaching, competitive pressure from Mahomes etc. Regardless he is playing at a very high level.

The question is what to do with Alex going forward. Do Chiefs let him go and turn over the job to Mahomes who was picked in round 1 as Chiefs future QB.

What to fans think about Alex, should he be kept or let him go?

@AsadZ keep!

@AsadZ

Mahomes is at this time largely an unknown. You just don't get rid of a proven QB for an unknown. I say keep Smith and have Mahomes learn from Smith and in a couple of years, when Smith is ready to slow down, let Mahomes take over with Alex Smith tutoring him.

@JayHawkFanToo I feel the same way and hope Chiefs can keep him.

The real question is whether Smith is worth the salary cap hit. Mahomes is on a pretty cheap rookie deal. Smith is in the last year of his contract. I don't know the Chiefs salary cap situation, but that probably will have more influence on the decision than just whether or not Smith is productive.

@justanotherfan Business decisions are best not made by the heart. I think Alex has been ok, but this year he is really good. He’s getting older 36ish and has only one year on his contract. If the Chiefs keep him next year they won’t be able to trade him to recoup any value for the 2 first round picks sitting on the bench (Mahomes) unless they re-sign Alex to a multi-year deal. It’s quiet the quandary and I’m glad I don’t have to figure it out.

I would like to see Smith on the roster for one more year before Mahomes (hopefully) gets too good to keep on the bench. We shall see if that’s the course the new GM takes. I hope they dont’ have to dump Smith to save salary to try and fix the rest of the roster.

I’d probably trade him for some draft picks, because I’m not sure he’ll ever have another season like this. That being said I’m not high on Mahomes at all, tho his skill set matches Hills well. I always thought in college he just threw the ball as far as he could and used speedy receivers to do most the work. I see a ton of interceptions and growing pains with him. So basically you can get something for Smith after this season while he’s worth something and he’s under contract or keep him around to see if he can have a repeat season the next few years while mentoring Mahomes. Then theres just not resigning him after next season, which is the dumbest move IMO.

@dylans Alex is only 33, will be 34. His game isn't a great arm so he can play another 6 years I'm sure.

I personally would franchise tag him and then trade him. That would be the move that benefits the Franchise long-term the most. He would fetch at least a 2nd round pick with how poor this draft class is. Perhaps even a 1st rounder from a desperate team like the Broncos or Jets. I'd even take the Browns #33 overall.

We just can't afford to pay Alex $25M a season when our team is so flawed elsewhere. We have too many aging players and we have a couple of guys we will want to keep who will demand some large contracts. Mahomes in year 2 was always the plan. In the words of our beloved JoJo, trust the process

FWIW, Mahomes is starting the next game...

@JayHawkFanToo Its a god idea to see what we got in him and simultaneously provide rest to Alex.

Mahomes has some talent, wow, the kid made amazing throws. He can play for sure. It will be an interesting offseason to see how the QB position plays out.

After Mahomes settled in he was very good. During the first quarter I thought maybe Alex needed a long term contract, but Mahomes looks legit. I don’t know if he’ll be ready next season, but he good enough you’ve got to hand him the keys sometime soon.

@dylans If you don't trade or release Smith and use Mahomes, you are giving up two full years of his rookie contract and taking a huge chance on losing his ambition and effectiveness. Few franchise-quarterbacks need to wait until their 3rd year to be ready, and the Chiefs labelled him that by trading up to get him. After he takes over, it will still be a rather rough adjustment period.

I say that as a huge Smith fan who believes he has seldom been properly appreciated or given the type of assets and freedom to show what he can do.

KC would be crazy to trade Smith. Trade Mahomes to Cleveland for the first pick in the draft.

@KUSTEVE They really would be stupid to at this point, keep him on another year and let him be a FA. If he plays bad then you have Mahomes, be crazy to trade the only QB that will probably have 2 playoff wins after today for a franchise with 10 total playoff wins.

@kjayhawks Don't count your chickens early with the kc chokes.

@dylans pretty epic collapse here, didn’t realize it was OU Georgia 2.0

Alex can be traded for whatever he's worth. Please. I'm ready for the unknown for better or worse.

@dylans Alex isn’t the problem, had numerous drops today, missed FG and piss poor defense that has zero pass rush.

I'm done with the Chiefs.

Pathetic play calling second half -- second half of game looked like middle half of season. Dumb penalties, too. Over and out.

@kjayhawks No, but he's not the solution either. The defense is horrible, that's the main reason for the loss. I'm not laying the blame at Alex's feet, it's just time for something else.

Have to give Alex up. Takes up too much cap when the rest of the roster is such a joke. Need to revamp our LBs and we need a NT if we are going to stay in the 3-4.

Chiefs were a flawed team and the Titans were the worst matchup of the potential wildcard matchups. Run defense needs to get sured up. Mahoney will put up points. Defense is the problem.

Just as Bledsoe begat Brady, so shall Smith begat Mahomes.

And the cap savings and pick will allow the defensive rebuild to begin in earnest. I’m liking the Ragland pickup, but more young help is needed for that aging D. Maybe go back after Poe (or is he hurt?)

Another wide receiver would be nice too.

mayjay said:

Pathetic play calling second half -- second half of game looked like middle half of season. Dumb penalties, too. Over and out.

Yeah, where was Kareem Hunt?

@BShark The disappearing run calls continue to plague Reid when he gets tight. Sucks

I wish Alex the best, Yet I'm ready for some Mahomes. The kid makes throws that Alex can only dream of. Sure at this point Alex is the better QB. Yet defense's aren't scared of Alex. They may not be scared of Mahomes either because of his age but you can bet you're arse they are weary of him.

I truly believe Alex affects Hunt in a negative way. Opposing defense's are't scared of Alex so they stack the box to take Hunt out of the game. Just having big arm Mahomes in the pocket makes defense's play more honest. See you around Alex hope the best for ya.

This game is on Reid, no way should we lose with such a lead. The play calling in H2 was terrible. If a trade needs to be made Hunt needs to wake up and trade Reid.

Day after reaction. 1) Smith is a good QB. He’s safe. And had a very good year but in his beat year ever, here we are. I am ready to gamble and chance it. Let’s go with the kid. 2) The call stopping play on the Derrick Johnson sack was horrible. But something tells me Tennessee wins anyway, even if they don’t get the field goal there. They would have kicked their extra points instead of the two missed 2 Pt conversation attempts assuming the game plays out the same way. We were on our heels all second half. 3) More than anything, I want Marcus Peters gone. Get whatever we can and be done with that punk. Rarely is there an athlete I flat despise so much that I don’t care if losing him cost us wins. He’s it. 4) How do we get outcoached so thoroughly?

I have live in KC for 42 years now, and that describes perfectly why I am still a die hard Packers fan. So To all KC bucketeers, I offer you a formal invitation to come join me and the several other packer backer posters and come on over to the Packer band wagon and trade in your decades of pain and disgust for the Green and Gold. All are welcome.

If I weren’t a lifelong Chiefs fan, I would be devastated. However, this is what I’ve come to expect.

I’m just glad KC has a coach that can win 10 games. The losing seasons were wearing very thin. So does KC get aggressive and try to fix the postseason coaching issues? Or will the powers that be allow Reid to keep being Reid? After Vermeil it was pretty horrible until Reid. I’m of the opinion he can coach, but needs a good offensive coordinator calling plays.

DoubleDD said:

I wish Alex the best, Yet I'm ready for some Mahomes. The kid makes throws that Alex can only dream of. Sure at this point Alex is the better QB. Yet defense's aren't scared of Alex. They may not be scared of Mahomes either because of his age but you can bet you're arse they are weary of him.

I truly believe Alex affects Hunt in a negative way. Opposing defense's are't scared of Alex so they stack the box to take Hunt out of the game. Just having big arm Mahomes in the pocket makes defense's play more honest. See you around Alex hope the best for ya.

All that arm strength doesn't matter if the second half of every game where you take a big lead becomes an exercise in the coach calling play after play where the pass doesn't even reach the line of scrimmage.

@HighEliteMajor Alex had an excellent year and no matter how much we as fans would want to keep him business circumstances are dictating to go in another direction provided we get decent return.

Regarding Andy Reid, I give him full credit for turning around the culture and environment in KC. He took over a 2-014 team and has made playoffs in 4 out of his 5 years. He is a very good coach. At the same time I feel that he becomes very conservative in critical situations especially when stakes are high. This was his pattern at Philly as well.

How can we explain H2 meltdown in yesterday's game, in a playoff at home, great home field advantage at Arrowhead one of the loudest stadiums, when you are up by 18 points. Titans made adjustments during half time and Chiefs could not do anything. This loss stings.

A few thoughts on the game. The loss of Kelce was very costly since it took the middle game away and the Titans could concentrate on the run and long ball. While on the subject, wasn’t the hit on Kelce the text book definition of spearing?

Why wasn’t the Mariotta fumble not a fumble?

Wasn’t Mariotta past the line of scrimmage when he threw the pass that came back to him?

JayHawkFanToo said:

A few thoughts on the game. The loss of Kelce was very costly since it took the middle game away and the Titans could concentrate on the run and long ball. While on the subject, wasn’t the hit on Kelce the text book definition of spearing?

Why wasn’t the Mariotta fumble not a fumble?

Wasn’t Mariotta past the line of scrimmage when he threw the pass that came back to him?

Yeah, helmet to helmet hit. Nasty stuff.

Ref called it wrong. Should have been a fumble.

No.

@AsadZ Is it scheming or just players making wrong adjustments that cause 3 offensive linemen to block 1 rusher and allow another a free shot at Alex? Until KC can consistently stop the run defensively and have an offensive line that can block and protect against these defense schemes we will not make it past the first wildcard game if we even get there again. I guess I am getting used to being disappointed when it looks like we are getting things going once again. Maybe next year but Alex was proven not to be the problem this time, and I fear we will miss him dearly next year as we break in a talented but inexperienced qb. Get these areas fixed and Go Chiefs!

This is that same perfect period the Seahawks had with Wilson. If we can hit on 3 or 4 defenders, either in the draft or free agency, Chiefs can have an amazing 3 or 4 year run.

Reid with a defense that doesn't give up points is a Superbowl recipe. His problem is he never lets his defense get too good because he is so damn offensive-minded.

Since I moved to KC in 1975, the Chiefs are 4-15 in 19 playoff games. 0 Super Bowls.

In comparison, the Packers are 22-18 in 40 games over the same time frame. 3 SB and 2 wins.

Very glad I held my Packer stock and did not trade in my fan card for a red/white/yellow one.

@Fightsongwriter as a Chiefs fan, you need to move!🤯

Thats the beauty @Crimsonorblue22 i am a packer fan.

@Fightsongwriter you should move closer to them! I do have a packers jersey.

Alex Smith just had 1 of the best seasons by a KC QB going back to 1961. Statistically speaking, leadership, off field. Toughness, throwing blocks at age 34...

Remember every starting NFL QB is 1 hit away from season ending injury. See Carson Wentz. That could be Alex or Mahomes, u nvr know.

Keep Alex as backup to Mahomes. Or keep him as a starter. He wants a SuperBowl too.

KC season in a nutshell: horrific D stats, for the season, ZERO pass rush. Cant win in playoffs without above-avg D. D needs overhaul BAD when all its stars (other than Peters) are 30+.

ALEX FAILED BY KC D. The Alex-haters in KC can simply sit down, shut up, watch some other team in playoffs advance & maybe learn something.

I agree with QB bootcamp guru, analyst , and former SuperBowl coach Jon Gruden who said with a chuckle: “ha, I’d keep Mahomes on the bench another yr”.

@Ralster You don't pay a backup QB $15M. We could trade him and help to bolster an aging, struggling defense.

@Ralster A couple of interesting bits of info that tell us what we need to know on Alex Smith. The two killers regarding Smith is that he can't throw into tight spaces, or won't. It happens every so often. below is stat that shows the separation between receiver and defender at the release of the football. Smith was way above the league average. The huge difference between KC and the next team is amazing. Second, got to @kent_swanson on twitter. I saw a video he posted about Smith's panic on the 3rd and 9 play. Smith just panics, leaves the pocket for now reason, and doesn't even try to reestablish his position in the pocket. He looks down at the ground, and flat panics. No real pressure. I'm done with that. Go to @RealMNchiefsfan. He breaks down multiple plays.

Alex Smith had a top 5 defense here a few years ago. He couldn't get to a Super Bowl. I hope it's over. I am willing to gamble that Mahomes is a bust, and risk multiple bad seasons. Smith has proven his playoff value, or lack thereof. It's not all his fault. But this last loss was the final straw for me. Mahomes made three throws vs. Denver that Smith can only dream about. It's why we drafted the guy.

!0_1515679174248_Separation.PNG ↗

@HighEliteMajor That explains his lower than avg interception rate.

@mayjay And his horrible 3rd down conversion rate.

@mayjay @Kcmatt7 Both correct .. it's just a conservative QB that doesn't take chances. And in my book, he doesn't even take reasonable chances. You have to try to find that break down video. It is Smith in a nutshell. I can't figure out a way to download and post it.

@HighEliteMajor There was another video I saw earlier this year that showed Alex struggling when teams show cover 2 but then roll cover 3. He picks out his first read, and when it wasn't there he just tried to run.

Alex was great for KC, and as far as I'm concerned he should go in the Chiefs HOF. But it is time to hand the reigns over.

@Kcmatt7 -- "Alex was great for KC, and as far as I’m concerned he should go in the Chiefs HOF. But it is time to hand the reigns over."

Completely agree. I want more, and I'm willing to risk having less.

Appreciate input from other KC watchers here. Thanks to @HighEliteMajor for that chart...I’m also excited about Mahomes. But the other half of my post is, to me, more about why KC is sitting at home: bad D stats. And for the middle of season, had dinged up O line, so Alex got eaten, which wont help his tendency to bolt the pocket. KC is a flawed team.

And that nicely diagrammed Pittsburgh pass rush that several teams including Titans did to KC game after game that KC can’t seem to recognize...

@Ralster Meanwhile, Bob Sutton is still the D coordinator. That would be a nice change if it were to happen.

HighEliteMajor said:

@Ralster Meanwhile, Bob Sutton is still the D coordinator. That would be a nice change if it were to happen.

He really needs to go imo.

@HighEliteMajor Yep, notice very late when KC switched to the “46”defense, they were getting heavy pressure on Mariota...maybe thru injury and age, our base D scheme no longer suits our personnel. This was not the KC D of 3 yrs ago. But then the KC O had a worse Oline, hurt Jamaal, and an aging Maclin WR. Prior to that it was the draft bust Dwayne Bowe era.

I also remember Trent Green‘s superbowl caliber offense getting wasted by a bad D, back under Dick Vermeil from 2000-2004, losing playoff shootouts, because couldn’t stop opponents.

@Ralster I'm a big 3-4 fan, but it puts huge pressure on your OLBs. Houston is a stud. But the other side has been horribly weak. It also creates more pressure on your DTs at the point of attack, particularly when one side is compromised. Also, in the 4-3, it's a little easier to walk a safety up than a 3-4 as well , and I think Berry handled that really well (in the 3-4) because he was so good. With a weaker safety, it's some big recovery (or you don't chance walking them up in the first plance), which compromises the run. Ugh.