During his first four years with the Chiefs, quarterback Alex Smith was the unequivocal starter. That doesn’t change as he begins his fifth season, as Andy Reid emphasized Monday.
“It’s Alex’s job,” Reid said. “That’s what it is. There’s no gray area with that.”
But the circumstances are different.
Previous backup quarterbacks in the Reid era, guys like Chase Daniel and Nick Foles, weren’t being groomed as Smith’s successor. Patrick Mahomes is, and that changes the dynamic of the position.
Mahomes, who was shifted from third to second team after the Chiefs first preseason game, is on an upward track.