Chiefs appear to be ready to trade veteran QB Alex Smith

Alex Smith has led the Kansas City Chiefs to an 8-0 start to the season.

The Kansas City Chiefs could be on the verge of drastically changing things up in preparation for the 2018 NFL season. Andy Reid’s squad will now head into the NFL offseason with a lot of questions surrounding the franchise, especially at the quarterback position.

The Chiefs seem to have found their successor for Alex Smith in rookie Patrick Mahomes II. The fact their successor is apparently in place, Smith’s status is now up in the air as the team is reportedly open to trading the veteran during the offseason, via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport.

And yet, the Chiefs are open to trading Smith this offseason, sources said, thanks in part to one of the most fervent quarterback markets in recent memory.

Kansas City won’t actively seek out trade partners, but they will listen. There is a real chance Smith, who’s set to make $17 million next season, will be dealt for the second time in his career. When asked by reporters Saturday if he wanted to return to Kansas City next season, Smith said, “Yeah, are you kidding me?”

Earlier in the 2017 campaign, Smith admitted that his time with the Chiefs is more than likely coming to an end after the season. The veteran saw the writing on the wall with the team drafting Mahomes and knows his future in the NFL will have to be elsewhere.

Fortunately for Smith, there may be more than a few teams willing to bring him on next season. The Arizona Cardinals may be an intriguing option for Smith following Carson Palmer’s retirement announcement.

The New York Jets, Cleveland Browns, Miami Dolphins, Denver Broncos, and Jacksonville Jaguars, amongst other teams, could show interesting in acquiring the proven veteran.

It’ll be interesting to see where Smith ultimately lands and how that impacts the odds for the team that’s willing to trade for him.