Trey Smith sends 4-word message as Chiefs adjust to life without All-Pro Joe Thuney

The Kansas City Chiefs made the past three Super Bowls, winning two but falling just short of becoming the first team to three-peat the title.

After losing to the Philadelphia Eagles, some key players left the franchise. Among those was All-Pro guard Joe Thuney, who moved to the Chicago Bears via trade. Thuney excelled at guard during this time in Kansas City, but played left tackle at the end of the 2024 season due to difficulties at the position.

The other superstar guard from the Chiefs is Trey Smith, who extended his contract last week and became the league's highest-paid guard. The Chiefs reported to training camp during the week, and Smith was asked about playing without Thuney by his side in 2025.

His short reply to reporters said everything they needed to know.

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"Damn, I miss him.”

Thuney was traded because the Chiefs needed to keep one of their superstar guards, and Smith was the younger one. Since moving to Chicago, Thuney signed a two-year extension with the Bears worth $35 million.

Trey Smith admits high level of concern about protecting Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes during games

Since he joined the league, Trey Smith has been one of the most consistent linemen in pass protection. The guard knows that he protects, perhaps, the most prized asset in the entire NFL.

Speaking to Kay Adams two weeks ago, Smith revealed that playing with Patrick Mahomes keeps him awake at night. If Mahomes suffers a serious injury, Kansas City's superpower is lost, and with that, their season has a much bigger chance of failing.

"Oh man, it's awesome. It's something that I take a lot of pride in, and for him to say that means a lot to me. Like I said, I lose sleep thinking about protecting Patrick. I know there are things I need to get better in my game to be the best protector that I can, and just be an asset for my team and help my team out."

Smith's new contract has $94 million in total money over the next four years. He received the franchise tag prior to the 2025 season, but the two sides were able to find common ground on a contract extension.

About the author

Henrique Bulio is an NFL and College Football journalist at Sportskeeda and the Editor-in-Chief of Pro Football Brasil. He has a total 13 years of experience working in American Football, and playing quarterback at an amateur level in Brazil has given him a unique perspective of the game.

Henrique follows the Philadelphia Eagles closely due to Michael Vick's historic performance on MNF against the Washington Commanders in 2010. His all-time favorite player is Ed Reed; he believes that Reed is the greatest safety to ever play the game. Bill Belichick gets the nod as Henrique's favorite coach for coaching the Patriots to glory over two decades.

If Henrique were to be able to go back in time and watch one game, it would be Super Bowl XLIX, where the Patriots and the Seahawks played a complete, back-and-forth game that concluded with one of the biggest talking points in NFL history.

Technical deep dives are Henrique’s specialty, and he ensures never to use misleading words in his articles, since he himself consumes a lot of information off the web. He has had the privilege of interviewing Cairo Santos, Lamar Jackson, Jim Harbaugh, Sean McDermott, Bruce Arians, Matt LaFleur, among others.

Aside from football, Henrique likes to play poker and Counter-Strike.

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Edited by Dipayan Moitra