Trey Smith is facing a situation he hasn’t experienced before in his NFL career. After years of strong success with the Kansas City Chiefs, the 2025 season ended on a disappointing note, bringing an unfamiliar offseason for the offensive lineman.

Speaking on the Ross Tucker Football Podcast on Monday, May 18, Smith talked about the team’s struggles and how he has grown eager to return.

“I’m excited to get back to work, period,” said Smith. “This is the longest offseason I’ve had. I’m already a little bit antsy. I want to get back to lifting. I’m trying to be smart and let the body heal and let everything take its course.” 

Selected in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft out of Tennessee, he quickly became part of a team that reached the AFC Championship Game in his rookie year. The next three seasons brought two Super Bowl victories and another trip to the big game.

That consistency makes the 2025 season even tougher for him to accept. A 16-13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers knocked the Kansas City Chiefs out of postseason contention for the first time in more than a decade. 

In the podcast, Smith admitted where he lacked as an offensive guard.

“I can speak for myself,” he said, “I feel like being more detail oriented [and] paying attention to the smaller things. Being more consistent — especially with my game. There’s so much parity in the NFL, and your margin for error is so small. You can’t make mistakes like that. I think for us, it’s just cleaning up our game and executing higher.”

For him, this offseason is a chance to reset and improve his game. His honest take also shows the team needs to make fewer mistakes and play better to return to winning form next season.

At the same time, attention is also shifting toward the Chiefs’ 2026 schedule, with analysts pointing out how tough their path back to the Super Bowl could be.

NFL Analyst Reacts to Chiefs’ 2026 Schedule 

ESPN analyst Dan Graziano recently gave his take on the reactions to the Kansas City Chiefs’ 2026 schedule. He responded to the assumption that Kansas City is destined for another Super Bowl appearance.

"Last year's third-place finish didn't really help the Chiefs schedule-wise. Based on opponents' 2025 records, the Chiefs have the fifth-toughest schedule in the league," wrote Graziano.

Seven teams on the Chiefs' schedule won 12 or more games last year, including four that reached the 14-win mark. Smith's team will also face both Super Bowl participants and all four conference championship teams.

Smith and his teammates have been active this season after the playoff miss. The franchise has effectively hit the reset button in some areas, moving on from multiple starters while carefully targeting the additions it wanted to make.

Will Smith and the Chiefs be lucky enough not to have a long offseason in 2026? Let us know in the comments.

Read more at Kansas City Chiefs Community.

Written by

Divyanshi Raj

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar