Welcome to the quarterback extension talks, Kansas City.
On Wednesday, May 28th, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Chiefs QB Alex Smith is looking for a long-term extension with the ball club. As with any long-term extension, this includes “top QB money,” and debate has sparked amongst the NFL as to whether the 30-year old passer is worth the extension.
Personally speaking, Alex Smith is the toughest quarterback to put in a category, and has been since his days with the San Francisco 49ers.
Smith’s pros include exceptional field awareness and football smarts. His errors have minimized since 2011, and he has thrown 7 interceptions or less in each of his three most recent seasons. Smith has also established himself as a force in the postseason, having thrown 9 touchdowns and 0 interceptions (yes you read that last part correctly) in 3 playoff games. In his most recent playoff game (At Indianapolis in a heartbreaking 45-44 loss), Smith completed 30/46 passes (65.2 completion percentage) for 378 yards, 4 touchdowns, 0 interceptions, and a passer rating of 119.7.
On the flip side, Smiths cons include mostly unspectacular statistics. 2013 was the only year in which he threw for at least 20 touchdowns.
In comparison, Seahawks QB Russell Wilson has thrown 26 touchdowns in both of his first 2 seasons. Wilson also threw for more yards, touchdowns, had a better completion percentage, and had a better passer rating in 2013 than Alex Smith did that year, all on 101 fewer attempts than Smith.
This alone explains why many have called the Chiefs quarterback “a game manager” and not a top-tier quarterback. Since being traded from San Francisco to Kansas City, Smith has shown signs of improvement, but not on the level of franchise quarterbacks.
The team itself appears to be cautious on talks of an extension, negotiations haven’t led to reports of a deal being close to being reached by either side, and the Chiefs drafted Georgia QB Aaron Murray in the 2014 NFL Draft, as if the trust hasn’t yet been earned by the passer from Utah.
That’s not to say Alex Smith can’t be a franchise quarterback.
Offensive Coordinator Doug Pederson, who spent time under current Chiefs head coach Andy Reid during their time in Philadelphia, has proven to be a success thus far with quarterbacks, having built the blueprint for the Eagles’ then franchise record 6,386 yards on offense in 2011 (this was broken in 2013 when the team posted 6,676 yards). Pederson continuing the success of 2013 and further developing the arm and football smarts of Alex Smith would benefit the team in 2014.
As for contract extension talks, I would wait until after 2014 to get complete judgment on Alex Smith. The guy’s got a lot of talent and, as stated above, terrific field awareness, but ultimately I don’t think the Chiefs will be able to give him the extension he wants before the season begins. I want to see Kansas City develop Smith a bit further come 2014 to see what the QB can really do.
All the cards will be played out, and the fate of Alex Smith and the direction of the Chiefs will be decided soon enough.
For the latest sports injury news, check out our friends at Sports Injury Alert.
Thank you for reading. Please take a moment to follow me on Twitter – @LastwordKinsley. Support LWOS by following us on Twitter – @LastWordOnSport – and “liking” our Facebook page.
Football fans…check out our two partnered NFL podcasts – Thursday Night Tailgate Radio and Overtime Ireland. Both shows bring you interesting commentary, critical analysis and fantastic guests including former and current NFL players, coaches and personalities.
(Stats via espn.com. Source via NFL Network)
