KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs announced on Wednesday that the club has acquired quarterback Alex Smith via trade with the San Francisco 49ers.
“After many discussions with the 49ers and Alex, we were able to come to an agreement that we felt was mutually beneficial,” Chiefs General Manager John Dorsey said. “Alex wanted to be a member of the Chiefs; we are excited to have him, and we think he can help improve this team.”
“Alex is going to fit in well here in Kansas City, and we are excited to have him on board,” Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid said. “We’ve seen him play, and he is very impressive. We are anxious to get him in the building and get him started learning our system.”
“I’m happy to be joining the Chiefs family,” Smith said. “I’d like to thank the Hunt family, John Dorsey and Coach Reid for giving me the opportunity to play football for such a proud franchise. I know from experience that Chiefs fans are among the greatest in the NFL, and I’m really looking forward to Sundays at Arrowhead Stadium.”
Smith (6-4, 217) joins the Chiefs after eight seasons with the San Francisco 49ers (2005-12). He has seen action in 80 games (75 starts), completing 1,290 of 2,177 pass attempts (59.3 pct.) for 14,280 yards with 81 touchdowns and 63 interceptions for a 79.1 rating. Smith has started two career playoff contests, both following the 2011 season, where he led the 49ers to the NFC Championship Game. In postseason action, Smith is 36 of 68 for 495 yards with five touchdowns and zero interceptions.
In 2012, he started 10 regular season games for San Francisco, helping the club reach Super Bowl XLVII. Prior to being sidelined with injury, he threw for 1,737 yards with 13 touchdowns and five interceptions for a 104.1 rating. Smith’s best statistical season came in 2011 where he racked up 3,144 yards passing on 273 completions with 17 touchdowns and only five interceptions for a 90.7 passer rating.
The La Mesa, Calif., native originally entered the NFL as the first overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft of the 49ers. Smith was an All-American quarterback at the University of Utah and prepped at Helix High School in La Mesa, Calif.
