The Kansas City Chiefs elected to trade quarterback Alex Smith to the Washington Redskins, but some wondered if another team could have swooped in for a deal instead.
The Cleveland Browns were an interested party, but the Denver Broncos are also a high-profile team in need of a quarterback. The problem is that the Chiefs and Broncos are AFC West rivals.
Chiefs owner Clark Hunt hinted that this fact ensured that the Broncos never had a chance to be a factor in Smith trade talks.
“I think it’s pretty typical in the NFL not to seek trades within the division,” Hunt said at the NFL’s Honors show, via Mike Klis of 9News. “That’s pretty standard fare particularly when we’re talking about a high-profile player.”
Hunt didn’t — and couldn’t — name specifics, as Smith’s trade to Washington can’t become official until March. Still, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out who and what he was alluding to.
The Broncos were one of the teams linked to Smith when it became possible that the Chiefs would trade him. It sounds like they never really had a chance.
