The Kansas City Chiefs have their new head coach, now they have their new quarterback as well.
According to the AP, the San Francisco 49ers have agreed to trade quarterback Alex Smith to the Chiefs for Kansas City's second round pick (No. 34) and a conditional pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. The trade cannot be completed until March 12, when the new league year begins.
The 49ers could afford to drop their former No. 1 pick and starting QB after Smith was concussed in Week Nine and rookie Colin Kaepernick stepped in to lead San Francisco to Super Bowl XLVII.
But even though Smith lost his starting job to the rookie phenom, it can't be missed that the seven-year veteran was playing his best football in the first half of 2012. He averaged 207 yards and threw for 12 touchdowns compared to five interceptions and the 49ers the season 6-2.
In fact, his improved play dates back to 2011, and over the last 16 games played he tossed 30 TDs with only 10 INTs; not awesome numbers, but quite good.
No one is making the case that Smith is elite, but he's definitely better than average, a decided upgrade in Kansas City who's had Matt Cassel behind center for four seasons.
New head coach Andy Reid, an offensive man, must be ecstatic as he knows he'll have a talented quarterback to play with this year. Reid has coached big-name quarterbacks Brett Favre, Donovan McNabb and Michel Vick; his experience will be key and it seems likely Smith will flourish under his tutelage.
In 2012, the Denver Broncos ran away with the AFC West, finishing 13-3 which was as much as the other three teams combined, and this trade should help the two-win Chiefs be more competitive in the near future.
Rich Kurtzman is a freelance journalist. You can follow Rich on twitter or facebook for all your NFL news and opinion.
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