The Kansas City chiefs kickstarted the offseason by trading quarterback Alex Smith to the Washington Redskins. As a result, the keys to the franchise have officially been handed over to quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

The move may have come as a bit of a shocker considering Smith's success in recent years. But according to Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk, Kansas City general manager Brett Veach indicated that the writing may have been on the wall for Smith once they drafted Mahomes:

“I think it is more of a plan and a vision and really putting the quarterback in a position to succeed,” Veach said. “I think we had a plan for Patrick and that was to come in, learn the offense and not go out there and play until you have a firm mental grasp of what you want to accomplish. All the physical tools are there. He is one of the best players I have ever seen. But you don’t want to throw them out there too soon. You want them to be who they are and not really process too much, just play. Coach [Andy Reid] had a vision, and we brought him along slowly, and we are excited for the future.”

patrick mahomes
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There had been plenty of speculation regarding Kansas City's decision to move up and take Mahomes with the 10th overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. Smith had done a solid job as the team's franchise quarterback for several seasons albeit with little playoff success. His hot start to the 2017 NFL season had essentially buried the thought of any changes under center for the time being.

However, it was only a matter of time before his performance began to fluctuate and talks about the rookie taking over started up once again. Fans got their wish in Week 17 after Mahomes got the start while Smith rested for playoffs. The rookie largely underwhelmed in his pro debut, completing 22-of-35 passes for 284 yards and an interception in a win over the Denver Broncos.

Patrick Mahomes
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All the while, Kansas City seemingly got what they wanted in terms of developing Mahomes while remaining competitive on the field. That said, the expectations for next season will likely still be the same despite all the recent changes to the franchise.