Chiefs fans should be even more appreciative of Alex Smith after Saints QB debacle

The Kansas City Chiefs took a risk in 2017 when they spent a first-round pick on Patrick Mahomes despite already having a reliable quarterback in Alex Smith. As we know now, the decision paid off, as Mahomes blossomed into one of the best quarterbacks in the league (and of all-time), helping the Chiefs win three Super Bowls and reaching five in total.

Smith never took the Chiefs to those heights. In fact, during his Chiefs tenure, K.C. only won one playoff game. Be that as it may, Smith should still be appreciated by Chiefs Kingdom because he actually accepted the Chiefs' decision to draft a quarterback while he was still playing well and once the move was made, he sucked up any discomfort he might have had and mentored Mahomes.

Chiefs fans should be forever grateful to Alex Smith

That's not always what happens in the NFL. A recent (but complicated) example could be playing out in New Orleans right now, as former division rival Derek Carr has a shoulder injury that could sideline him for the 2025 season (and this is only coming out recently). While Carr very well could be hurt and that's why he might not be able to play in 2025, some Saints fans are accusing him of trying to get out of having to mentor and/or compete with whichever quarterback the Saints end up drafting.

Former Saints linebacker Scott Shanle took to X to slam Carr, calling him thin-skinned and accusing him of not being a competitor. Situations like these should make Chiefs fans appreciate Smith even more for not only mentoring Mahomes but doing so with a positive attitude.

It'd have been easy for Smith to have given some sort of "Not my problem" answer regarding mentoring Mahomes but he didn't. He was a class act the entire time (and played really well in 2017, keeping Mahomes on the bench longer than some Chiefs fans cared for) and when his time in Kansas City came to an end, he didn't badmouth the team or Mahomes.

Smith might not have won titles while he was with the Chiefs but his actions in 2017 helped play a part in why the Chiefs are where they are today. For that, Chiefs Kingdom should be forever grateful.