Earlier this month Alex Smith was named the 2020 NFL Comeback Player of the Year. The 36-year old Washington Football Team quarterback completed arguably the greatest comeback in the sports history. After a two-year hiatus from his catastrophic leg injury, Smith made his way back on the field.
However, Smith says Washington wasn’t quite prepared for his comeback. Speaking with Clay Skipper of GQ Magazine, Smith described how his return threw a wrench in the team’s plans.
“When I decided to come back, I definitely threw a wrench in the team’s plan,” Smith said. “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. 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. At that point, as you can imagine, everything I’d been through, I couldn’t have cared less about all that. [laughs] Whether you like it or not, I’m giving this a go at this point.”
Alex Smith suffered a compound fracture in his right leg during a November 2018 game. The injury alone threatened his career. But his situation became more severe when he developed sepsis, a bacterial infection that ravaged through his leg that threatened his life and nearly resulted in amputation. He would endure 17 surgeries to combat the infection and repair him from his injury.
Meanwhile, Washington seemingly moved on drafting Dwayne Haskins in 2019. Then following the hiring of head coach Ron Rivera in 2020, traded for Kyle Allen. Thus, Smith’s intention to come back wasn’t met with open arms.
Smith told GQ he had to do some convincing, including working his way off the PUP list.
“Well yeah. I mean, they tried to put me on PUP [Physically Unable to Perform] for two weeks, then they tried to high-arm me. I felt like I still hadn’t had my fair shake at that point. I wanted to see if I could play quarterback and play football, and I feel like I hadn’t been given that opportunity yet to find that out. It’s like getting this close to the end line of a marathon and they’re telling you that you can’t finish the race. It’s like, f–k that. I’m finishing this thing. At least I’m going to see if I can. So, I’m thankful we worked through all that stuff but no, it wasn’t like open arms coming back after two years. Like I said, new coaches, new faces, and I think I definitely surprised a lot of people that never thought I would even be trying it.”
Smith’s recounts of the situation going into the season ahead of his comeback is quite interesting to say the least. Washington had their reservations considering they had two young quarterbacks in the building.
Rivera admitted before the season, Smith talked his way onto the 53-man roster. It’s a good thing his determination swayed the team. Because, they ultimately needed Smith.
Haskins struggled and was benched after four games. Allen took over the reigns but suffered a gruesome ankle injury that ended his season after four starts. Smith eventually took over and went on to be 5-1 as a starter, steering a struggling Washington team to the NFC East division title and the playoffs.
Smith’s season ended prematurely. A bone bruise, which caused him to miss two games late in the season, also kept him out of Washington’s wild card playoff loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Still, through the peaks and valleys, Smith etched his legacy with the comeback of the ages. And it may not be a one-hit wonder, as he continues to contemplate continuing his football career into next season.
