Alex Smith ‘shocked’ by Jeremy Maclin’s release

The Kansas City Chiefs’ decision to release Jeremy Maclin on Friday came as a surprise to many, including his quarterback, Alex Smith.

Smith told the Kansas City Star he was “shocked” by the release of Maclin. He also sounded disappointed by the move.

“Jeremy is a really good friend, an amazing teammate, so still kind of just processing that he’s not going to be in there with us, a guy that’s done a lot for us the last two years, a guy I’ve grown really close to,” Smith said Saturday, via the Star’s Blair Kerkhoff.

“Jeremy’s a great person, a great teammate, a great player,” Smith said. “On all those levels, (I’m) just kind of letting that sink in, I guess.”

Maclin had a down season last year as he battled a groin injury, which is something Smith noted. Still, releasing Maclin creates around $10 million in cap space for the Chiefs, which they obviously felt was more important to have.

Now it will be on Smith to figure out a new top receiver option, as the man who caught 87 passes and 8 touchdowns two seasons ago is gone.