Former Tennessee football star Trey Smith is now the highest-paid offensive guard in the NFL.
A week ago, he finalized a deal that will pay him $94 million over four years with $70 million guaranteed. This keeps him with the Chiefs after a period of uncertainty about what his future would look like in Kansas City.
On Tuesday, Smith met the media to discuss the new contract. When recounting ironing out the deal and what it meant to him, he couldn’t help but get emotional.
“I lost my mom when I was 15, and I made two promises to her,” Smith said. “That I would get my degree and play in the NFL. I didn’t promise her I’d be the highest paid. I made a promise, man. My parents sacrificed so much for me to be here. So much. And to have that moment with them, it’s special, bro. It’s special. It’s something I won’t take for granted.”
Trey Smith gets choked up talking about what this new deal means for him – and how it was a way to honor a promise he made to his late mother ❤️🪽 #ChiefsKingdom @KSHB41 pic.twitter.com/iFJzOdU5CA
— Matt Foster (@MattFosterTV) July 22, 2025
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Just prior to earning the massive pay day, Smith was franchise-tagged by the Chiefs. This gave Kansas City the chance to retain him on a one-year contract without allowing him to negotiate with other teams.
Despite this, the two sides were able to work out a deal.
“I was just going through the process and, obviously, that is just what ended up happening,” Smith said. “Getting a tag is a tremendous sense of honor in a way that the organization has that much faith and confidence in your ability as a player. So for me, I looked at it really as a blessing at the time. Ultimately, got the deal done and that’s a great blessing, again, and something I can go earn.”
While at Tennessee, Smith was a two-time All-SEC First-Team member and an All-SEC Second-Team pick during his freshman season. His sophomore year, he wasn’t able to take the field for a full season due to blood clots.
These blood clots were a massive hurdle for Smith to clear, but the Jackson, Tennessee, native managed to return to the field. It was the cited reason for his slip in the NFL draft to the sixth round, but he’s since been a staple of Kansas City and is now a two-time Super Bowl champion and Pro Bowler.
