Washington ‘didn’t want me,’ Smith says

Quarterback Alex Smith’s heralded comeback from a compound leg fracture surprised most, including himself, but when he was cleared to return to the Washington Football Team, he claims “it wasn’t like open arms coming back after two years.”

In an interview with GQ Magazine, Smith, 36, said he “definitely threw a wrench in the team’s plans” and indicated he had to strong-arm his way onto the roster to get an opportunity to prove himself.

“They didn’t see it, didn’t want me there, didn’t want me to be a part of it, didn’t want me to be on the team, the roster, didn’t want to give me a chance,” Smith said. “Mind you, it was a whole new regime. They came in, I’m like the leftovers and I’m hurt and I’m this liability. Heck no, they didn’t want me there.”

Watt tweets cryptic Buffalo reference: Former Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt’s scientific reference on social media has triggered a lot of conversations.

Watt wrote Tuesday on Twitter that “Mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell.” Was the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year perhaps providing a clue about his ultimate free agent destination?

The Mitochondria Research Society is located in Buffalo, N.Y.

Watt, cut by the Texans at his request rather than be part of a potential rebuilding situation, has been recruited by Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs as well as multiple other players, including Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Deandre Hopkins.