Alex Smith has never quite lived up to the expectations associated with a No. 1 overall pick. He was kicked to the curb in San Francisco by Colin Kaepernick back in 2012, and he’s been a serviceable starter for the Kansas City Chiefs ever since being traded in 2013. However, it appears the Chiefs might follow in the 49ers’ footsteps regarding Smith in favor of either Tony Romo or Jimmy Garoppolo.
According to Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole, there is a “growing sense” the Chiefs are leaning towards letting Smith go if they can land Romo or Garoppolo.
“In all likelihood, the Chiefs will only make the move for Romo if they make the move away from Smith,” Cole says. “However, there is a strong feeling the Chiefs have reached their ceiling as far as where Smith will be able to take them in the playoffs.”
This isn’t particularly surprising. Smith is an excellent quarterback but has always had certain limitations. He isn’t adept at pushing the ball down the field, and despite being one of the best protectors of the football in the NFL, he just isn’t going to carry the offense on his back like you expect from a franchise passer.
In his 11-year career, Smith has also never thrown more than 23 touchdowns in a season, and his yards-per-attempt average is a mediocre 6.8. He also has a career playoff record of 2-4, despite throwing 12 touchdowns and just two interceptions — proof that efficiency isn’t what wins championships.
It might make sense for the Chiefs to throw themselves into getting Romo, if they believe the rest of the roster is championship caliber. Though, Romo’s health is a major concern, especially if landing him means ditching a guy who’s started 61 games in four years.
Garoppolo is even riskier, because although he’s been tremendous in New England he still is very raw in terms of NFL game experience. We all saw what happened when the Chiefs took a stab at Matt Cassel, and it would be an eyebrow-raising move if they made a similar play for Garoppolo.