Alex Smith continues to be a blessing for the Kansas City Chiefs.
When addressing successor Patrick Mahomes on Wednesday, Smith told reporters that he understands the business quite well -- enough to know that the writing may be on the wall if he doesn't play well.
"I think the [Chiefs are] committed to me through this year,'' Smith said, via ESPN.com. "That's just the nature of it. If you don't go out there and perform, I mean, coach [Andy] Reid and [quarterbacks coach Matt Nagy] are very honest. You've got to go out there and do your deal. We all have to.
"Whether or not we drafted Patrick, it doesn't change that, right? If you're not good enough and didn't get it done, you're not going to be around long. That's just our culture. I know it. That's the nature of the position.''
I've been critical of those who think any planned succession in the NFL will go smoothly, but Smith and the Chiefs are doing their best to prove me wrong. From Reid and general manager John Dorsey's continued communication with Smith before the draft about selecting a quarterback to Smith's support and understanding, there is a feeling that they may just be able to pull off a less complicated version of Favre-Rodgers.
Obviously, the situation becomes infinitely more complicated once games start and once Mahomes has a chance to see some live bullets in the preseason. Should he display some promise and should Smith actually falter, this may not be as easy an emotion to process in the middle of a season.
Smith said that while he has been in a situation with "a little similarity" before with Colin Kaepernick, Reid and Dorsey are a stabilizing factor. Smith, too, said he's older and wiser. That means being smart enough to know that handling this situation flawlessly can ensure that he plays for as long as he's physically able.
