Chiefs RG Trey Smith signed his one-year, $23.4 million franchise tag tender.

The Chiefs franchise-tagged Smith in an effort to work out a long-term deal. The tag pays him $23.4 million fully guaranteed, effectively making Smith the NFL’s highest-paid guard. With Joe Thuney gone, getting Smith to agree to an extension will be imperative for Chiefs general manager Brett Veach and company. From Smith’s perspective, this tag keeps him from hitting the market, but he has plenty of leverage to work with as tagging him a second time would drain Kansas City’s financial resources in 2026.