[temper11]

My two cents...

I honestly think, (completely based on what he said post-season last year - which I realize could be a complete load of crap) that he isn't really concerned about money. He's made a lot of money already in his career, and is crazy smart and will have no trouble making plenty more money after his football career is over. I think he's looking for commitment. He wants to find a home, play football, and rewrite how history will remember his career. So...

On one hand, he doesn't want the team to break the bank and chop itself off at the knees with a ridiculous contract.

On the other hand, he wants the team to invest in him so he isn't so easily replaced even when he is playing great football (he had the highest QBR the week before he went down I think).

If the Chiefs can convince him that he is there guy - long term - in some other way than with a huge contract (assuming quality of play remains high) then I think he'd be happy to do a team friendly deal. I'm not really sure how you do that though. Maybe that's why you keep hearing all the love-talk from Reid Dorsey and Hunt. But words don't mean shit. Harbaugh said "Smith earned the starting role" as well. He certainly didn't do anything to un-earn it.

Anyway, that's my armchair psychologist opinion into what Smith is going for. Or, maybe he really is just staying completely out of it and letting Condon do everything.