It was just about one year ago, in the run up to last year’s Super Bowl, that Alex Smith was traded from the Kansas City Chiefs to the Washington Redskins in a deal that surprised the league in its immediacy. Brett Veach was intent on clearing the path for Patrick Mahomes without any offseason drama clouding the way. He found a suitor for his best trade asset and pulled the trade trigger as soon as he could.
One year later, the Chiefs plan has unfolded about as well as anyone could have expected—heartbreaking postseason losses aside—but for Smith and the Redskins, a nasty injury has muddied the waters.