The Kansas City Chiefs have seen a number of Super Bowl champions leave the team ahead of the 2024 NFL season. And while the most important thing is that both Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid are still at Arrowhead, the front office knows the people surrounding the quarterback and head coach are very important as well.
That’s why the team is already working to keep two key contributors in Kansas City beyond this season. Speaking to the media on Thursday, general manager Brett Veach revealed the Chiefs plan to get new deals for right guard Trey Smith and linebacker Nick Bolton.
“We’ve been in conversations with Trey [Smith],” Veach said, via SB Nation‘s Arrowhead Pride. “We still have some time here, and we’ll get a chance to talk to both Trey’s people and Nick [Bolton’s] people.”
Both players joined the Chiefs in the 2021 NFL Draft and have become instrumental since then, helping the team win consecutive Super Bowls in the last two seasons.
Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs celebrates with Trey Smith #65 after throwing a touchdown pass during the fourth quarter at Arrowhead Stadium on September 12, 2021 in Kansas City, Missouri.
One of Mahomes’ biggest protectors, Smith has been a mainstay in the Chiefs’ offensive line since his rookie year, as he never missed an NFL regular season game so far. Bolton, meanwhile, has been crucial in defense, leading the team in tackles in Super Bowl LVIII.
see also
NFL News: Andy Reid reveals Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs" secret weapon ahead of 2024 season
Chiefs need to invest to stay competitive around Mahomes, Reid
Both Smith and Bolton are entering the final year of their rookie contracts. According to Spotrac, the former signed a four-year, $3,610,708 deal in 2021; whereas the latter penned a four-year contract worth $5,834,032 that year.
Nick Bolton #32 of the Kansas City Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs celebrate on stage during the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl LVII victory parade on February 15, 2023 in Kansas City, Missouri.
The Chiefs want to avoid losing them in unrestricted free agency in 2025, though it remains to be seen how much it will cost them. This offseason, Kansas City gave Reid great news by handing center Creed Humphrey—another member of the 2021 class and key protector of Mahomes—a four-year, $72 million extension. Only time will tell us if Veach can do something similar with Smith and Bolton soon.
