Alex Smith has finally come back to earth after playing nearly mistake-free football for the first eight weeks of the season, but that does not mean the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback is in any danger of losing his job.
Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reports that the Chiefs are not considering benching Smith in favor of rookie Patrick Mahomes down the stretch. Kansas City’s offense has struggled as of late and Smith has thrown three interceptions in the last two games, but the veteran had an MVP-caliber first half and has his team on top in the AFC West.
The Chiefs obviously envision Mahomes being their quarterback of the future, hence why they traded up to select him at No. 10 in the NFL Draft earlier this year. La Canfora notes that teammates and coaches have been impressed with Mahomes and there’s a sense he could become the starter “sooner rather than later,” but that apparently does not mean this season barring a Smith injury. There’s a decent chance Smith will be shopped on the trade market this offseason.
Andy Reid has publicly defended Smith in the past, and there’s no reason to think that will change with just six weeks remaining in the regular season. Kansas City has lost four of its last five games, but fortunately the rest of the AFC West has not been that strong. The Chiefs will look to get back on track at home against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.
