Kansas City Chiefs’ quarterback Alex Smith who is entering his 10th year in the NFL wants a new deal, but has indicated that he does not want a “pay as you go” type of contract.
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“Pay as your go”, otherwise known as an Andy Dalton or Colin Kaepernick type of contract is not the sort of deal that Smith is seeking from Kansas City, who had this to comment to USA Today’s Tom Pelissero (via NFL.com).
We’re on the record. That’s a tough question (when asked if he’d sign Dalton’s contract if the Chiefs offered it) Certainly, I think it’s a tough thing. I look at both Andy and Kap and they’re both on their rookie deals. They’re both second-round picks in the new rookie wage scale, so what were their salaries? It’s a very different situation for me.
Dalton’s six-year contract which can pay up to $115 million is essentially closer to $35 million over three years after which the Bengals can walk away from if their quarterback doesn’t improve. With Smith knowing he’s at a different stage in his NFL career than his younger counterparts a contract worth $16 to $17 million per year, top-tier money, is likely more what he has in mind.
If a new contract could be agreed upon before the regular season started, that would obviously be favorable to Smith, who further commented..
I would love that,” Smith said. I certainly don’t want it to carry on into the regular season and be thinking about it. It’s hard to. It’s hard to be dealing with it and eliminate it always. It can become a distraction. Hopefully, it gets knocked out and I won’t have to worry about it.
With just a few short weeks to go before the start of the regular season, Smith and the Chiefs have some serious negotiating to work on. Additionally, it is not surprising that Smith wants a different deal, especially when it comes to Kaepernick, considering the history of how Kaepernick landed his job as a starting quarterback.
Photo: ESPN.com