With Andy Dalton signing his new deal with the Cincinnati Bengalsearlier this week, all eyes turn to Alex Smith and his effort to get a new long-term contract.
Entering his 10th season, Smith said he wants a new deal from the Kansas City Chiefs but told USA Today's Tom Pelissero on Saturday he's not interested in the type of pay-as-you-go contracts recently signed by Dalton and the San Francisco 49ers' Colin Kaepernick.
Dalton's deal is purportedly for six years and worth up to $115 million; however, the contract in essence is closer to three years and $35 million, with the Bengals able to walk away if the quarterback doesn't improve.
Smith, however, knows he's at a different stage of his career than either of the young signal-callers.
When asked directly by Pelissero if he'd sign Dalton's contract if the Chiefs offered it, Smith said, "We're on the record. That's a tough question. Certainly, I think it's a tough thing. I look at both Andy and Kap and they're both on their rookie deals. They're both second-round picks in the new rookie wage scale, so what were their salaries? It's a very different situation for me."
Chiefs general manager John Dorsey told Pelissero he last spoke to Smith's agent, "a couple days ago."
It appears that Smith might need to play out the year if he truly wants to even have a shot at top-tier money -- $16 million to $17 million per season -- especially with many scouts viewing the 30-year-old as a stopgap worthy of a mid-tier price more than a franchise-level player.
Smith said that in a perfect world he'd like to get a deal done before the season starts.
"I would love that," Smith said. "I certainly don't want it to carry on into the regular season and be thinking about it. It's hard to. It's hard to be dealing with it and eliminate it always. It can become a distraction. Hopefully, it gets knocked out and I won't have to worry about it."
As much as he might not like it, if he wants to get a deal done soon, Smith's probably going to have to lower his asking price. Otherwise, he'll have to prove he's worth it again this season.
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