Jason Kelce is a forever Eagles lover. But one reason why he continues to watch the Kansas City Chiefs is…well, not his brother.

A year ago, he welcomed the Chiefs offensive lineman Trey Smith on his podcast, The New Heights, and couldn’t stop gushing about Smith’s playing style, his “right way” to finish, and everything that makes the 6-ft-6, 321lb player the team’s ‘enforcer.’ But to everyone’s and Kelce’s surprise, during KC’s recent preseason finale, the Seattle Seahawks’ much lighter linebacker Jared Ivey handled Smith quite well. And as much as Ivey impressed Jason Kelce, the Eagles legend believes Smith’s technique was the one to blame.

“Trey Smith is a bad man, but it don’t matter how much of a beast you are if you go in with bad technique,” he wrote on X, resharing a clip from The Athletic’s Ted Nguyen that captured Smith getting handled by Seattle Seahawks Jared Ivey. “Trey should be striking this kickout block with his left shoulder, and left foot forward. Same foot same shoulder is how power is generated. 

“Conversely we see Jared Ivey striking Trey with perfect technique, right foot forward right shoulder.  Ivey is also way lower and does a great job squeezing down the line and catching Trey before he is ready for contact.  Trey is still a badass, but what F—ing Outstanding rep from Ivey.”

During one of the plays, rookie quarterback Garrett Nussmeier handed off the ball to fellow rookie running back Emmett Johnson, but before he could make a run for it, the offensive line got into trouble.

Tight end Travis Kelce and Smith crossed ahead of Johnson to stop defenders on the RB’s left in a kickout block. But while Kelce momentarily stopped Trevon Diggs, who eventually made his way into the middle, Smith was engulfed — to say the least — by Ivey. And it all came down to, as Jason Kelce pointed out, the technique. Just hear me out…

When you watch that play happen, Smith was straight and running directly into Ivey. Meanwhile, the latter bent down on his right knee, with his right shoulder coming down, and as soon as Smith reached him, he checked him, pushing him into the middle where he stumbled down and also brought down the Chiefs’ running back with him, ending the play. And this is the very reason that concerns Jason Kelce, since Smith is much more than just a young OL for the Chiefs.

Trey Smith has been the Chiefs’ anchor, but he is clearly struggling

There is a reason why the Chiefs were comfortable enough last season to hand out a four-year, $94 million contract extension to Trey Smith. That offer with $70 million guaranteed was a record-setting deal that made Smith the highest-paid interior lineman in league history. That was also the biggest guaranteed amount ever given to a guard in the NFL. And it’s not hard to see why the Chiefs were more than happy to sign that deal. Even happier was their franchise quarterback.

Within minutes of the deal’s completion, Patrick Mahomes tweeted a beaming face emoji. After all, Smith was the first player the Chiefs brought in their Mahomes era to overhaul their o-line. He has certainly paid off more than what was expected.

Smith was a second-team All-American in his senior season at Tennessee, but he dropped to the sixth round (226th overall) in the NFL Draft due to one concern he has proudly bashed over the course of his young NFL career.

You see, in February 2018, Smith was diagnosed with blood clots in his lungs. He was given blood thinners that he would take until Friday to safely play over the weekend. That procedure was a first-time thing for football, as Smith had explained years ago. But in the NFL, Smith has smashed the very concern that kept other NFL teams from drafting him early.

As a core part of the Chiefs, Smith is known for his athleticism and tenacity but he very well might be known for his hard exterior. Barring last season, he had started 80 of 81 games for the team and continued to be the most reliable player for Mahomes. He is a big reason why there is still something to look forward to in the Chiefs’ offensive line this season.

He is one of the anchors in this unit’s interior and is known for his raw power and heavy hands. Smith has proven to be extremely useful in pass protection. Along with Creed Humphrey, Smith is a force to be reckoned with for opposing defenses. However, Smith is also entering this season after missing quite some time last season due to an injury. Yet, he finished strong and received his consecutive Pro Bowl nod.

Yet, Ivey was the best defensive lineman in a crowded room on Friday. He went home with four tackles, including two solo and one tackle for loss. After the showing against the Chiefs, Ivey could maybe hope for a spot on the roster.

It is difficult to get past a depth chart that already has Demarcus Lawrence, Uchenna Nwosu, Derick Hall and Dante Fowler. The Chiefs game was the last chance for Ivey to leave a mark.

Meanwhile, even though Kelce and Nguyen were critical of Smith, the right guard is still trying to find his footing after missing the majority of padded practices in training camp due to a hip injury.

“Trey (Smith) loves to play, but it was important that he let that thing heal up like he did,” Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said back at that time after Smith visited a hip specialist. “And I think it’ll pay off for him down the road.”

At that time, he could not guarantee Smith’s return for Preseason Week 3, but the right guard returned after healing. But did he return stronger? Well, while Jason Kelce appreciated him, Ivey is still the one who left a mark on his heart.