Former Tennessee Vols offensive lineman Trey Smith's quest for a third Super Bowl ring came up short on Sunday evening in New Orleans. 

Smith and the Kansas City Chiefs were blown out by the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX, falling 40-22 in a game that was nowhere as close as the final score indicated. 

The former Tennessee standout, who has spent the first four seasons of his NFL career with the Chiefs, is set to be a free agent when the new league year begins in March. 

There's been speculation that Smith, a right guard who has started 80 career games for the Chiefs (including the playoffs), could become the highest paid guard in the NFL this offseason. 

If that ends up being the case, it seems unlikely that Smith will return to Kansas City. The Chiefs have numerous needs they need to address this offseason (such as the left side of the offensive line). Giving Smith a lucrative contract would hamper Kansas City's ability to address the majority of those needs. 

That means Smith probably has a big decision to make — stay with the Chiefs at a discount or maximize his value by signing elsewhere. 

Staying with the Chiefs (and quarterback Patrick Mahomes), in theory, would give Smith the best chance to continue to compete for championships. 

But after the Chiefs' loss to the Eagles in Super Bowl LIX, I'm not sure that's the case. 

There's just no guarantee that Kansas City will reach the Super Bowl again anytime soon. Reaching the Super Bowl is incredibly difficult (just ask Hall of Famer Dan Marino and future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers). And as much as everyone likes to suggest that Mahomes is the next Tom Brady, he could just as easily be the next Troy Aikman — a three-time Super Bowl winner who never returns to the big game after age 29. That's not a prediction for Mahomes and the Chiefs — I'm just saying it's far from a certainty that Smith will get back to the Super Bowl with the Chiefs if he chooses to re-sign with Kansas City. 

That's why I think Smith, who has been woefully underpaid during the first four seasons of his career (due to falling to the sixth round in the 2021 NFL Draft because of health concerns), should use this opportunity to maximize his value and sign with the highest bidder. 

Smith will turn 26 this summer, he's in the prime of his career, and he already has two Super Bowl rings. This is the best chance he'll have in his career to land a massive NFL contract. 

The choice seems clear for Smith — he should go test the market and get paid as much as he can get paid. It's not greed, it's what the former Vol deserves. 

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Oh what could’ve been