Kansas City Chiefs

Kansas City Chiefs: 5 potential replacements for Alex Smith

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 6:27 p.m. ET

Fansided, Matt Verderame/FanSided via Arrowhead Addict

The Kansas City Chiefs should be looking to upgrade at quarterback this offseason. Here are five players who could potentially fit the bill.

This isn’t going to be an article crushing Alex Smith. Smith, who turns 33 years old this offseason, is a decent player. He has been to the Pro Bowl twice, albeit as an alternate. All that said, general manager John Dorsey has to be thinking about what he can do to take the Chiefs further than the AFC Divisional round.

With that in mind, here are five quarterbacks that realistically could come to Kansas City next year and, perhaps, give it the spark it needs to get over the proverbial hump.

5. Kirk Cousins

Cousins lands low on the list because there is a good chance he never sees the market. The Washington Redskins can apply the franchise tag, although it would cost $24 million. If he becomes a free agent, the Chiefs would have to consider it.

Cousins threw for 4,917 yards and 25 touchdowns last year, leading the Redskins to a second consecutive winning season. However, he will be 29 years old in August. Is he worth the kind a deal akin to what Andrew Luck got? Because that’s what it is going to cost after a bidding war.

4. Tyrod Taylor

Taylor is a very intriguing case. He’s only 27 years old and the Buffalo Bills are likely to let him hit free agency, rather than pay his $27 million option. The main question with Taylor is whether Dorsey and head coach Andy Reid believe he’s an upgrade over Smith.

Over the past two seasons, Taylor has started 29 games and put up meager numbers bu a starter’s standards. He has never thrown for 3,050 yards in a season or for more than 20 touchdowns. In this vein, he’s basically a younger Alex Smith.

So why go after Taylor? Because he’s in the prime of his career, and coming to a team much more suited for his talents. Under head coach Rex Ryan, Taylor was shackled to a prehistoric offense with club-foot Sammy Watkins and a mediocre offensive line. In Kansas City, he will have a top offensive mind in Reid, Jeremy Maclin, Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill as weapons.

Taylor might be a great fit with his athleticism and ability to throw the deep ball. However, is it worth the gamble on a player who turns 28 in August.

Nov 25, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders quarterback Patrick Mahomes (5) warms up on the bench during the game against the Baylor Bears at AT&T Stadium. Texas Tech defeated Baylor 54-35. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

3. Patrick Mahomes

If the Chiefs want to get a long-term answer, Mahomes has to be one of the main options. Mahomes played at Texas Tech throughout his three-year college career, and was in an Air Raid system. In other words, it is likely that Smith would have to play in 2017 while Mahomes sits behind him and learns the system.

Mahomes is likely to go in either the late-first round or early second round, putting him in Kansas City’s sweet spot. It would be a risk taking a player who needs to learn an entirely new way of playing, but that’s a risk you take with most college quarterbacks.

The Chiefs have not taken a quarterback in the first round since 1983, when they took Todd Blackledge. It’s time to take that risk, provided Dorsey and the scouting department feels comfortable rolling the dice. Mahomes needs to get his footwork corrected and learn how to go through progressions, but he’s a big kid with a cannon for an arm.

This wouldn’t fix the quarterback situation in 2017, but it could set the franchise up for 15 years, something that literally hasn’t been the case since Len Dawson was under center.

Jan 15, 2017; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo (9) warms up before the game against the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Divisional playoff game at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

2. Tony Romo

Yes, we reached that point of the article. Romo ius going to be 37 years old in March and hasn’t played much over the past two seasons due to back and clavicle injuries. There is a very good chance that Romo is simply too brittle to withstand even the majority of an NFL season, let alone an entire one.

Still, the Chiefs have to consider trading for Romo when the Dallas Cowboys make him available. In his last full year, Romo threw for 4,800 yards and 35 touchdowns, something Alex Smith can only dream of doing. He would be an instant upgrade if healthy and would provide Kansas City with a real shot of reaching the Super Bowl for the first time since 1969.

So what would it take to land Romo? The guess here is that a mid-round pick, perhaps a third, would do the trick. If that happened. the Chiefs would be taking on $14 million in base salary for next season. The rest of the contract, running out in 2019, has minimal penalty, so you could cut him without pain and move on.

It’s a huge gamble, but sometimes that is what needs to happen.

Jan 9, 2017; Tampa, FL, USA; Clemson Tigers quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship Game at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

1. Deshaun Watson

This is where the Chiefs could potentially get better and younger at the quarterback position without having to wait. Watson won the National Championship over the Alabama Crimson Tide in January, showcasing all of his considerable abilities.

Watson struggles in some aspects of his game, including deep accuracy, but he can play. Watson has elite size and athleticism, along with the intellect to play right away. At the very least, he could compete with Smith in training camp and if he loses, be a backup for 2017 while learning the system.

It might be tough to land Watson, as he could go in the top 15 picks of the NFL Draft. That said, the Chiefs have 11 selections and could trade up to secure him. At this point, Dorsey has to consider moving heaven and earth for a franchise quarterback.