When talking about the elite, good and great quarterbacks in the NFL, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith is hardly mentioned. Thanks to a early MVP-like start, perhaps it’s time to reconsider.
All across social media, in pubs and bars and even in office water coolers, fans will debate about the modern-day greats such as Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Ben Roethlisberger and Aaron Rodgers. Other names that get thrown around are Hilip Rivers, Russell Wilson, the recently retired Tony Romo and Matt Ryan.
Where would Smith rank?
The former top overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft out of Utah by the San Francisco 49ers, all Smith has ever done is quietly become one of the game’s best QB’s. In tossing 28,620 yards, 164 touchdowns and 91 interceptions, Smith helped lead the Niners to a Super Bowl, before unceremoniously being discarded for Colin Kaepernick following the 2012-13 season.
After being dealt to Kansas City for a second round pick and ‘14 conditional pick, Smith would truly blossom into the borderline-top tier signal caller that he today in throwing for close to 14,000 yards (13,566), including a career-best in passing yards last season (3,502) in completions (328), despite throwing 15 touchdowns.
IN his four years with the Chiefs, Smith has averaged 3,391 yards passing, 19 touchdowns while completing 64.5 percent of his passes, surely that qualifies as to what is considered “elite’ these days right.
Despite such solid numbers, many detractors and critics will point out his lack of NFL arm strength and that he is nothing more than a glorified game manager. However, at least he has managed to gradually shed that label in 2017.
Through three games, Smith has thrown for 774 yards and zero interceptions, including a season-high 368 passing yards and four touchdowns in Kansas City’s 42-27 season-opening upset of the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots on Banner Night.
While it is early, this just looks like a different and more aggressive Smith than in years past.
It doesn’t hurt that Smith has a dual-threat running back in rookie phenom Kareem Hunt and Pro Bowl threats such as wide receiver Tyreek Hill and tight end Travis Kelce on the outside to make his life a bit easier, but at the helm of an undefeated team, and seemingly only getting better, Smith’s name may finally find it’s way to that water cooler debate soon enough.