Kansas City, Mo. • Alex Smith is spending this week helping to prepare Patrick Mahomes II to make his NFL debut, since the Kansas City Chiefs have already locked up the AFC West title and have nothing to gain from beating the Denver Broncos on Sunday.
The Chiefs traded up to snag Mahomes with the 10th overall pick in this year's draft, the first time the franchise had used a first-round pick on a quarterback in more than three decades.
And with that kind of investment, the assumption has been Mahomes would spend a season learning the craft under a consummate pro such as Smith, then jump into the starting role next season.