Since the Kansas City Chiefs were eliminated from the playoffs, there has been constant chatter concerning Pro Bowl quarterback Alex Smith's long-term future.
One of the destinations continued to be mentioned in the conversation has been the Cleveland Browns. During an interview on “The Dan Patrick Show” on Tuesday morning, Smith briefly touched upon that scenario as a possibility, as relayed to print by Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.
“I haven't even thought about that,” Smith said with a laugh. “They've got nowhere to go but up. 1-31 over the last 2 years just sounds amazing.”
The Browns have been in need of a stable quarterback for the last several years with a litany of players that have struggled to play under center. It has put the franchise in position to once again look for a viable option either through free agency, the trade market, or the 2018 NFL Draft, a usually promising event (for most organizations) in which they hold the first and fourth overall selections.
Smith appears to be on the outs with the Chiefs despite still having one more year left on his contract worth $17 million plus bonuses. It has become clear that Kansas City has their eyes on passing over the reigns to Patrick Mahomes II, especially after moving up to the 10th overall pick to select him in last year's draft. There were also rumors last month that the team would open to trading the 33-year-old at some point during the offseason.
That said, Smith has still proven to be a highly productive quarterback coming off his most productive season after posting career highs across the board with 4,042 passing yards with 26 touchdowns to just five interceptions while holding a league-best 104.7 passer rating. He also finished the year third with a 67.5 percent completion rate, eighth in passing yards, and ninth in touchdown passes that earned him his third Pro Bowl selection.
There is no certainty that this production and level of success that he has had in five years with the Chiefs, which includes a pair of AFC West division titles and four playoff appearances, can translate over in Cleveland. However, it would provide the team with a steady hand under center that has shown he can lead a team to success in both stops of his career.
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