REALITY CHECK
Not even Alex Smith expected to be back on a football field after suffering a compound leg fracture in November 2018, his leg ravaged and his career seemingly over just 10 games after arriving in Washington.
But after achieving the improbable, the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year may soon begin a new chapter. The Washington Football Team is expected to release Smith in the coming days, according to a person with knowledge of the situation, allowing him to move on to his next football stop while the team looks to revamp its roster and upgrade at the quarterback position.
The former No. 1 overall pick out of Utah, who had already played 13 seasons before his comeback, defied the odds last season to restore not only his career but also Washington’s playoff hopes, leading the team on a 5-1 run to claim the division title and a postseason berth for the first time in five years. His impending release will save Washington $14.7 million in salary-cap space, bringing the team’s total to roughly $53 million, the fourth-most in the league. It will also leave Washington with an uncertain future as it searches for its next franchise quarterback — with few clear options. The team re-signed Taylor Heinicke to a two-year deal after his standout performance in a first-round playoff loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and will likely retain Kyle Allen on a minimal one-year restricted free agent tag.
Three years ago, Smith was Washington’s long-term answer. But in recent weeks, Smith’s departure from Washington appeared more probable, both because of his contract — he had two years left and a cap charge of $23.3 million for this season — and lingering uncertainty over his durability and mobility.
Smith suffered a bone bruise in his surgically repaired right leg that kept him from playing in two regular-season games as well as Washington’s playoff loss, and even when healthy, his ability to escape the pass rush was diminished. Smith, who will be 37 at the start of next season, has foot drop because of the injuries and the 17 surgeries it took to repair the bones and clean out a bacterial infection. He can no longer lift his foot up toward his shin, and while he wears a light brace to help him overcome the deficiency, his mobility appeared limited during the season.
The news of Smith’s impending release, which was first reported by NFL Network, comes less than a week after a candid interview he gave to GQ Magazine published, in which Smith said that his comeback last offseason “threw a wrench” into Washington’s plans under new coach Ron Rivera. He said the team “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” last summer as he attempted to complete his comeback from his injury.
“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,” Smith added in the interview. “Heck no, they didn’t want me there.”
But Smith was added to the initial 53-man roster last September and soon became a vital piece of Washington’s success.
“We sat down with him — myself, [quarterbacks coach] Ken Zampese and [offensive coordinator] Scott Turner. He was very passionate about wanting the opportunity to play again, very passionate about making this football team,” Rivera said last year. “That really stood out to me because it really just showed, mentally, I think he’s past the hurdle. … But, always in the back of your mind you always wonder about the mental aspect. How is he going to be with it? I just loved his response. I loved the way he went at us about wanting to do specific things.”
Smith leaves Washington with an 11-4 record as a starter. He arrived in 2018 via trade with the Kansas City Chiefs, and after leading Washington to a 6-3 start that year, he was injured on a sack in Week 11 against the Texans. Smith’s right leg snapped under the weight of Houston defensive end J.J. Watt and safety Kareem Jackson, as his bone broke through the skin.