Chiefs

Chiefs HC Andy Reid Makes It Clear Alex Smith Will Return As Team’s QB Next Year

January 29, 2017

Chiefs HC Andy Reid made it clear that Alex Smith will return as the team’s starting quarterback for the 2017 season.

“Alex is our quarterback — there’s no question about that or anything else,” Reid said during Pro Bowl weekend, via the Kansas City Star. “I surely didn’t want to insinuate that (was not the case) at all.”

Reid did, however, say that they expect Smith to continue to make improvements moving forward.

“The work’s never done — he’ll continue to improve,” Reid said. “There won’t be the huge jumps, but there will be little things he’ll continue to get better at.

“But he’s pretty good right now, though.”

A few weeks ago, Reid implied Smith was going to return as their starter, but his recent comments are much more definitive.

Smith, 32, is a former first-round pick of the 49ers back in 2005. After seven years in San Francisco, Smith was traded to the Chiefs in 2013.

Smith will be entering the fourth year of his five-year, $76 million contract that includes $45 million guaranteed and stands to make a base salary of $10.8 million for the 2017 season.

In 2016, Smith has thrown for 3,502 yards while completing 67.1 percent of his passes to go along with 15 touchdowns and eight interceptions.