The Kansas City Chiefs have some key players hitting free agency, including one of their best offensive linemen. He could leave the Chiefs to sign with the Chicago Bears.
Trey Smith was a Pro Bowler for the first time in his career last season and is set to cash in as a free agent. The Chiefs are projected to have $5.3 million in cap space, likely putting them out of the market for Smith at the moment. Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay predicted Smith would sign a five-year, $105 million deal and his best fit to be with the Bears.
“The Bears went all-in by selecting Caleb Williams at the top of the 2024 draft,” wrote Kay. “They now need to focus on better protecting their young quarterback. Williams took an NFL-high 68 sacks as a rookie, which the Bears need to reduce under new head coach Ben Johnson.”
One key to the Bears’ turnaround will be ensuring that Williams is not the most-sacked quarterback in the league for a second consecutive season. He has been a huge part of the Chiefs’ three consecutive Super Bowl appearances. Losing him would be a big blow, but he may simply have priced himself out of the Chiefs price range.
“It’s easy to see why Smith will have plenty of suitors this spring,” wrote Kay. “He’s proven to be reliable—starting 67 of a possible 68 games—and extremely talented. He just earned his first Pro Bowl appearance after giving up zero sacks across 1,115 offensive snaps in 2024, per Pro Football Focus.”