Several veteran players with Pro Bowl potential, such as Cincinnati Bengals edge rusher Trey Hendrickson, Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin, and Dallas Cowboys edge rusher Micah Parsons, are poised to secure new contracts before the start of the 2025 season. The most urgent case is the Kansas City Chiefs’ offensive guard Trey Smith, who was tagged as a franchise player in late February.

This urgency stems from the impending deadline of July 15 at 4 p.m. ET for franchise players to finalize multi-year contracts. Post this deadline, tagged players cannot sign new long-term deals until the regular season concludes on January 4, 2026. The Chiefs’ decision to franchise Smith caught many by surprise, as it’s rare for interior offensive linemen to receive this designation.

Smith’s franchise tag designation marks only the fourth time in the last decade that an offensive guard has been tagged. Previous instances include the Washington Commanders tagging Brandon Scherff in 2020 and 2021, and New England Patriots making Joe Thuney a franchise player in 2020.

Negotiating leverage is currently in Smith’s favor, especially after the Chiefs traded Thuney, a two-time All-Pro, to the Chicago Bears in March for a future fourth-round pick. If a long-term contract is not agreed upon, Smith is expected to enter the open market by 2026. However, designating him as a franchise player again next year will come at a higher cost, estimated at approximately $28 million.

The dynamics of contract negotiations indicate that Smith could become the highest-paid offensive guard in the league should he sign before the deadline. Given the Chiefs’ history of contract deals with offensive linemen, this potential contract could redefine the market for his position.