Following the sudden trade of Pro Bowl quarterback Alex Smith to the Washington Redskins, much of the chatter surrounding him has quickly been unveiled.

At the forefront of that conversation has been both the Cleveland Browns and Denver Broncos reportedly making serious runs at acquiring Smith. According to a source close with Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, the Browns had made an offer to the Kansas City Chiefs but their unwillingness to commit to a long-term extension wound up being their undoing.

The Browns offered one of their two second-round picks for Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith, but weren’t prepared to sign him to the blockbuster extension that the Redskins did, a league source told cleveland.com.

Cleveland has had Smith on their radar for quite some time, but the lack of desire to work out a long-term deal put them completely out of the mix. In fact, this was the turning point that allowed for the Redskins to get the upper hand in the trade talks as the 33-year-old wanted to play somewhere he could have the job security of a long-term contract.

It adds to what could be another major whiff on the Browns’ behalf as Smith has proven to be one of the league’s most dependable quarterbacks. He has proven that over the last five years with the Chiefs leading the team to four playoff appearances and back-to-back AFC West division titles. Smith may not be a top-tier talent at the position, but he has been nothing short of reliable, something Cleveland has lacked for years.

At the same time, the Denver Broncos also came up short as the team reportedly offered a second-round pick and All-Pro cornerback Aqib Talib and had that turned down.

On @Browns_Daily right now @AllbrightNFL said that “Alex Smith chose Washington due to the long term deal that the Skins were offering.” Added Browns offered multiple picks but wanted him for short term deal and Denver offered a 2nd and Aqib Talib! — Nathan Zegura (@NathanZegura) January 31, 2018

The Broncos, like the Browns, are in the market for a starting quarterback for the 2018 season. This could inevitably see both teams make strong pushes to land Kirk Cousins once the free agency period begins. He is the clear-cut next best available option on the market and could require a lucrative deal to land him.