Kansas City Chiefs starting offensive center Creed Humphrey and starting right guard Trey Smith entered training camp with one year left on their rookie deals and no new contract offers on the table. But according to Nate Taylor of The Athletic, the Chiefs will try to get both players locked up before the regular season.
“Throughout the next month — before the season opener Sept. 5 against the Baltimore Ravens — the Chiefs will attempt to sign Humphrey and Smith to lucrative contract extensions, a feat that [Brett] Veach has yet to achieve this time of year in the previous six seasons during his tenure,” Taylor wrote on August 5.
Taylor also noted that the two-time defending Super Bowl champions want to extend linebacker Nick Bolton, who is in the final year of his rookie deal, and kicker Harrison Butker, who is in the final year of his deal. However, the “top priority” for Kansas City is to sign Humphrey and Smith, per Taylor.
EDITOR’S NOTE — after this article was published, the Chiefs signed kicker Harrison Butker to a four-year, $25.6 million contract extension, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Chiefs Could Target Creed Humphrey Extension First
Though the Chiefs want to get Humphrey and Smith’s deals done before the regular season, they have to start by giving one of those players a contract, that way they know where they stand financially when they go into the second negotiation.
“Based on the market of both positions, an argument can be made that the Chiefs could target signing Humphrey to his extension first,” Taylor wrote.
The top-paid center in the NFL is Detroit Lions‘ Frank Ragnow, who gets paid an average annual value (AAV) of $13.5 million from the four-year, $54 million deal he signed with Detroit in 2021. The top-paid guard in the NFL is Atlanta Falcons‘ Chris Lindstrom, who gets paid $20.5 million annually from the five-year, $105.2 million contract he signed with Atlanta in 2023.
Based on those AAVs, it would make sense for Kansas City to address Humphrey’s contract first since his would be the cheaper of the two. Smith’s negotiation will be harder for the Chiefs because 1) his deal with naturally be higher than Humphrey’s based on the market and 2) If Smith excels this upcoming season and enters free agency next offseason he likely will be the most talented free agent at his position, which could create a bidding war for him and a contract that could exceed $20+ million annually.
Smith turned 25 years old on June 16. Humphrey turned 25 on June 28.
Trey Smith Not Focused on Expiring Contract
Speaking to the media at training camp on July 28, Smith was asked about his desire for a new deal. Smith began by talking about the video game “College Football 25” before getting candid about his expiring contract.
“I don’t look at all that stuff, man. I worry about what my coaches tell me, I worry about how they feel about me,” Smith said. “You know, if I do my job at a high level, everything else is going to take care of itself. That’s all I’ve got to do, just keep working and do my job at a high level.”
The Chiefs have 31 days before their season opener against the Ravens.
