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Why are some Chiefs fans upset about the Alex Smith trade?

A lot of folks have bashed the Kansas City Chiefs decision to trade for Alex Smith from the 49ers, including some Chiefs fans. Others have praised the move. And even more are perplexed as to why the Chiefs fan base is so vocal and up in arms about the move. Read on to understand why Chiefs fans have been starving for their very own drafted quarterback.

Jamie Squire

We all know the incredible stat that the Kansas City Chiefs have not had a quarterback they drafted record a win for them since Todd Blackledge in 1987. That sums up so much of the reason Chiefs fans have gone quarterback-crazy with the No. 1 pick in the 2013 NFL Draft.

Call those Chiefs fans crazy but at least understand their perspective. Understand where they've been in their Chiefs fandom. The table below helps illustrate why some Chiefs fans are upset about the Alex Smith trade.

Alex Smith trade: The complete breakdown

Redditor skeeter80108 created this terrific table below which shows the last quarterback drafted for each team who led their team in passing yards. 25 teams since 2008 have had a quarterback they drafted lead their team in passing.

The Chiefs are last because of course they are.

Team Player Year
Atlanta Falcons Matt Ryan 2012
Baltimore Ravens Joe Flacco 2012
Carolina Panthers Cam Newton 2012
Cincinnati Bengals Andy Dalton 2012
Cleveland Browns Brandon Weeden 2012
Detroit Lions Matthew Stafford 2012
Green Bay Packers Aaron Rodgers 2012
Indianapolis Colts Andrew Luck 2012
Miami Dolphins Ryan Tannehill 2012
Minnesota Vikings Christian Ponder 2012
New England Patriots Tom Brady 2012
NY Jets Mark Sanchez 2012
Pittsburgh Steelers Ben Roethlisberger 2012
San Francisco 49ers Colin Kaepernick 2012
Seattle Seahawks Russell Wilson 2012
St Louis Rams Sam Bradford 2012
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Josh Freeman 2012
Tennessee Titans Jake Locker 2012
Washington Redskins Robert Griffin III 2012
Denver Broncos Tim Tebow 2011
Jacksonville Jaguars Blaine Gabbert 2011
Oakland Raiders Jamarcus Russell 2009
Philadelphia Eagles Donovan McNabb 2009
Buffalo Bills Trent Edwards 2008
Chicago Bears Kyle Orton 2008
Arizona Cardinals Matt Leinart 2006
Houston Texans David Carr 2006
San Diego Chargers Drew Brees 2005
Dallas Cowboys Quincy Carter 2003
NY Giants Danny Kanell 1998
New Orleans Saints Dave Wilson 1986
Kansas City Chiefs Steve Fuller 1980

H/T Redditor akurei77 for sorting it

Amazing, right?

Todd Blackledge did start two games in 1987, the last drafted quarterback to win a game for the Chiefs. But he did not lead the team in passing yards that season. That was Bill Kenney.

There are exceptions, of course. Eli Manning and Philip Rivers were draft day trades, so they're not included in the list. Tony Romo was undrafted.

We can make excuses each as to why the Chiefs don't draft a quarterback, and sometimes they're even legit reasons. But over time the numbers bear it out - the Kansas City Chiefs, relative to other teams in the NFL, have struggled mightily to develop their own quarterback talent.

This isn't a commentary on whether the Alex Smith trade was a good one or not. We've talked about that all over the place. This is just a piece of the history for those non-Chiefs fan visiting the site who are wondering why some of these Chiefs fans seem so angry. There's a reason for it, and it goes back many years.

Oh, and the fact that this is the fifth former 49ers QB to come to the Chiefs in the last 25 years doesn't help.

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