Chiefs clear up $17M by trading Alex Smith to Washington

We actually suggested the Redskins make this move on Tuesday before news of the trade broke, but Washington committing to Smith for more than the year left on his deal is somewhat surprising.

The Washington Redskins have been beating around the bush about QB Kirk Cousins since 2015.

The biggest domino here? Smith will replace Kirk Cousins in Washington, who will be allowed to leave the Redskins as a free agent.

Washington couldn’t afford to pay Cousins upwards of $30 million per season, and the transition tag was apparently not an option. They even delivered a sneak peek in the regular-season finale, when Mahomes led the Chiefs to a victory at Denver.

He said Kansas City is expected to receive at least a third-round pick in the trade. The team repeatedly failed to get over the hump in the postseason with Smith at quarterback, and they selected Mahomes with the 10th overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft.

As for his long term future with Washington, at four years and over $70 million guaranteed, the Redskins clearly have to have a plan in place to build around him. It felt like a hefty price tag at the time, but Smith paid major dividends for a franchise that won multiple division titles with him at quarterback. The Redskins have the trio of Jordan Reed, Jamison Crowder and Josh Doctson, who form a nice nucleus to build around. Ultimately the Redskins pulled off the deal, giving up what has been reported as a third-round pick and cornerback Kendall Fuller in exchange for the quarterback.

A source confirmed the agreement to the Richmond Times-Dispatch, but emphasized that no official trade is possible until March, when the NFL’s trading window opens on March 14. Smith played in this year’s Pro Bowl over the weekend. So he’s probably pretty happy that he isn’t landing in Cleveland. And the tabloid culture of NY will virtually demand that GM Mike Maccagnan sign Cousins when the free-agency signing period begins March 14.

The deal also gives the Chiefs a much-needed pick in this year’s draft. He tried to fight off these suspicions, though, hoping that the Redskins will not deal him.

Kirk Cousins of the Redskins looks to pass the ball against the Giants at MetLife Stadium on December 31, 2017. It mostly qualifies as a win for everyone involved, although it’s easy to imagine Skins fans getting hot and bothered over this one.