Even Alex Smith says he's 'shocked' by the Chiefs' decision to cut Jeremy Maclin
Me too, Alex
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2 min read
We weren't the only ones shocked by the Chiefs' decision to cut Jeremy Maclin on Friday night. So was the team's starting quarterback.
On Saturday, Alex Smith reflected on the roster move. It shouldn't necessarily come as a surprise to learn that Smith isn't exactly happy with the team's decision. He's not just losing a friend, he's losing his best receiver.
"Shocked," Smith said, per the Kansas City Star. "Jeremy is a really good friend, an amazing teammate, so still kind of just processing that he's not going to be in there with us, a guy that's done a lot for us the last two years, a guy I've grown really close to. ...
"Jeremy's a great person, a great teammate, a great player. On all those levels, (I'm) just kind of letting that sink in, I guess."
In two seasons with the Chiefs, Maclin caught 131 passes for 1,624 yards and 10 touchdowns. He was, by far, the Chiefs' best receiver (not counting tight end Travis Kelce). But the Chiefs decided $10 million in cap space was more valuable than Maclin. That's probably the reason why the Chiefs moved on.
"He and I have been playing a long time, been around this a long time," Smith said. "They say it is a business, but obviously for us as teammates it's not. It's very personal."
If anyone should understand, it's Smith, who's been through more than a few tumultuous times in his career. He began as the No. 1 pick in a draft class that included Aaron Rodgers. And then he struggled mightily in San Francisco before Jim Harbuagh rescued his career. But during the 49ers' peak, he lost his job to Colin Kaepernick and wound up in Kansas City, where he's helped the team reach the playoffs in three of his four seasons as the starter. But in this year's draft, the Chiefs traded up to draft his successor in Patrick Mahomes, meaning Smith's time in Kansas City is nearly up.
"I think [the Chiefs are] committed to me [only] through this year," Smith said last month, 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."
Who knows, maybe Maclin will wind up on a quarterback-needy team and the two can reunite in a year. The 49ers have a need at both positions -- just saying.
