Kansas City Chief’s quarterback Alex Smith is asking for a contract extension. Coming off an impressive season where Alex took a struggling organization and made it a house hold name feels like he deserves more that his current contract. In the 2013 season Smith had 23 touchdowns and over 3,000 yards. Every year he has gotten better with making decisive decisions with the ball and made each of the teams that he has played quarterback for better.
This situation with the contract extension needs to be resolved quickly before it gets ugly. Despite having one of their best season ever, the Chiefs are looking to improve with their offensive settings and needs a focused Smith to play at an elite level. Smith is asking for a deal like Bear’s quarterback Jay Cutler which is around 126.7 million dollars for 7 years.
Head coach Andy Reid has conversed with different reporters about the situation and he is staying out of the discussion for now; “Well, there’s open communication between both parties,” Reid told the NFL Network this week. “Now, I’m not in that business anymore that’s General Manager John Dorsey’s side of it, but there’s been open communication. I can’t put a time frame on that, but I’m sure something will get done.”
Smith’s 220.9 passing yards per game were the highest of his eight-year career, as were his 23 touchdowns. He remains challenged as a vertical passing threat averaging just 6.5 yards per attempt and has been under rated with the mobility of extending the play with using his legs. The question that has been the topic recently has been the health of Smith and his production in the next few years. Smith has had success with throwing the ball for short gains, but his long ball has disappeared. Last season he had threw an average of 8.9 balls down the field. In order to succeed with getting an elite contract, Smith needs to focus more on getting air under the ball and letting the critics know that he more than an average quarterback.
There is no time table yet for the decision, but it could cause damage to the team if they do not find a solution before the season.
