Potential Chicago Bears free agent target Trey Smith will be staying put in Kansas City, according to multiple reports.
Those reports, including from ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Smith will be given the franchise tag by the Chiefs, giving him a guaranteed one-year deal worth just over $23 million.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Chiefs are still working to sign Smith to a long-term deal, taking one of the biggest pieces off the free agent market this spring.
Smith was drafted in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft, and has won two Super Bowls with the Chiefs. He was named to the PFWA’s All-Rookie Team in 2021, and made his first Pro Bowl with the Chiefs in 2024.
He has started in all 67 games he has appeared in during his NFL career.
With Smith off the board, the market at guard thins considerably, giving the Bears plenty to think about in free agency. Will Fries of the Indianapolis Colts ranked as the top guard on the market according to Pro Football Focus, while Bears guard Teven Jenkins is ranked second.
The Bears may have another option on the trade market, as according to multiple reports, Los Angeles Chargers guard Jonah Jackson is going to be permitted to seek a trade by the team.
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NFL free agency opens in early March, and the Bears own the No. 10 pick in the NFL Draft, giving themselves a few different options to address their woeful offensive line.
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