Alex Smith breaks silence on Patrick Mahomes replacing him as Chiefs' QB1
Alex Smith was the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback from 2013-2017 before being replaced by Patrick Mahomes.
Prior to the 2013 season, the San Francisco 49ers traded Smith to the Chiefs. He then became the starter for the next five seasons, leading the franchise to four playoff appearances.
In 2017, they traded up in the NFL Draft to select Mahomes out of Texas Tech to eventually succeed Smith. The very next season, Mahomes took over as KC's starting quarterback as Smith was traded to the former Washington Redskins.
On the Pat McAfee Show, Smith opened up about when the Chiefs drafted Mahomes to replace him. He knew his time was coming to an end, especially being in his 13th season in the league.
"What the hell were they thinking? That's what was going on in my mind, "Smith said. "I knew when they drafted him, the time was running. And at that point, I was in my 13th year, and you're not guaranteed anything. Like if I didn't play good football, they were gonna find somebody that could."
Smith added:
"And I'll never forget Eric Berry coming up to me. He's like, 'Hey, man, you gotta come see this, this throw he made'. And he's throwing 20-yard dig routes across the middle not even looking. When he looked at it like that, it was only a matter of time."
Kansas City Chiefs replaced Alex Smith with the right guy in Patrick Mahomes
Alex Smith led the Chiefs to the playoffs four times in 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2017, while picking up two playoff victories. Although, Smith had a lot of success, he didn't have as much to pull off a Super Bowl victory.
That's when the Chiefs decided to trade up in the 2017 NFL Draft to select Patrick Mahomes.
After sitting behind Alex Smith during his rookie season, Mahomes took over as the franchise's starting quarterback and has delivered for them. He's won two league MVP's and has led Kansas City to two Super Bowl victories, earning Super Bowl MVP each time.
As of right now, the Chiefs are tied for the best record in the league, standing at 6-1.