The guard market keeps climbing, and every new deal makes Trey Smith’s contract look sharper for the Chiefs.
On Friday, Peter Skoronski reset the ceiling with the Tennessee Titans, signing a four-year, $100 million extension that includes $88 million guaranteed. That pushed the position’s top annual value to $25 million and knocked Smith another rung down the ladder.
Just a year ago, Smith sat at the top after Kansas City handed him a four-year, $94 million extension with $70 million guaranteed. At the time, that was the richest guard deal in NFL history.
It didn’t stay there long.
Skoronski is coming off the best season of his career after moving inside from tackle, and Pro Football Focus ranked him as the league’s sixth-best guard a year ago. Tennessee drafted him at No. 11 overall in 2023, and with one year left on his rookie deal, the Titans moved quickly to get him locked in.
He wasn’t the only interior blocker to cash in this summer. Less than a week earlier, the Atlanta Falcons gave Matthew Bergeron a four-year, $96 million extension worth $24 million annually. Dallas Cowboys lineman Tyler Smith also sits at that same $24 million yearly mark on his 2025 extension.
That leaves Trey Smith fourth in the current guard pecking order at $23.5 million per year. The guaranteed money tells the same story. Kansas City’s $70 million guarantee once stood as the biggest guarantee ever for a guard, but Skoronski blew past it with $88 million.
For the Chiefs, the timing of Smith’s deal keeps looking better. One offseason ago, they were staring down a tough call as Smith’s rookie contract expired.
The former sixth-round pick had developed into a Pro Bowl player, but Kansas City also had Joe Thuney on the books and Creed Humphrey already in place, making the interior expensive. With the salary cap rising higher than expected, the Chiefs traded Thuney to the Chicago Bears and committed to Smith beside Humphrey.
Smith is signed through 2028 at $23.5 million per year, only $1.5 million shy of the new high-water mark at the position. He just turned 27, and Kansas City clearly sees him as a core piece for the rest of his twenties. With every new guard extension, that bet looks more and more like the right one.
In Other News...
Chiefs Stars Patrick Mahomes And Travis Kelce Face New Off-Field Fight
A new off-field dispute has landed around Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes as the Chiefs stars face a lawsuit tied to the name of their steakhouse restaurant. The case, filed by 1587 Sneakers, centers on the use of 1587, a number closely associated with the two players, and it puts an unusual business-side wrinkle on what has been one of the more visible ventures attached to Kansas Citys biggest names.
At the heart of the complaint is a disagreement over how much control Kelce and Mahomes really have over the project. The plaintiffs say the players are downplaying their involvement, while the restaurants website presents 1587 Prime as a collaboration between the teammates and Noble 33. For now, the case is ongoing, and the broader fight over branding, naming rights and merchandise is still playing out. [Read more 🡒]
Mahomes And Kelce Just Got Dragged Deeper Into Restaurant Legal Fight
Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelces move into the restaurant world was supposed to be another sign of how far their 1587 Prime steakhouse brand could stretch beyond the field. Instead, the September 2025 opening has quickly turned into a federal trademark dispute, with 1587 Sneakers suing over the restaurant name and pushing the issue into a much more public spotlight than either star likely wanted.
The latest court filings have only sharpened the fight, as the plaintiffs are challenging the idea that Mahomes and Kelce are detached from day-to-day control of the business. With the legal back-and-forth still active, the name on the door remains at the center of a case that could shape how the restaurant is viewed while both sides line up their next arguments. [Read more 🡒]
Felix Anudike-Uzomah Suddenly Has Real Stakes In Chiefs Camp
Felix Anudike-Uzomah is back in the mix at Chiefs camp, and the early signs are encouraging. After a lost season, the defensive end is healthy again and getting first-team reps, a notable development for a player the staff still needs to sort into the long-term pass-rush picture. Andy Reid has offered positive feedback on his progress, and George Karlaftis has also praised the work ethic that has shown up through the opening stages of camp.
The stakes around Anudike-Uzomah are bigger now than they were a year ago, because every rep matters for a player trying to turn promise into a clearer role. Kansas City has reason to keep watching closely as camp continues, not just for what he can do right now, but for what he might mean to the defense moving forward. [Read more 🡒]