ASHBURN, Virginia – American football team quarterback Alex Smith decided long ago that he wanted to work hard during his recovery to see where it would take him. This took him back to the starting lineup. Now he has one more decision to make: does he want to keep playing?
Smith said he has yet to come to any conclusions about his future, saying it will take a few weeks to clear his head and discuss his future with his wife, Elizabeth.
“I had so much fun this year, being back in the locker room and on the field to play a game that I love and getting lost in it is one of the great feelings in the world,” said Smith. “My wife has been through a lot, my family has been through a lot, but this is for another time and place.”
Smith was unable to play in Washington’s 31-23 playoff defeat to Tampa Bay on Saturday night because of a strain on his right calf muscle suffered on December 13. After that point, Smith played in a game. He reiterated on Sunday what he said many times: his calf injury was unrelated to a fracture of the fibula and tibia in 2018.
“This is not how you want to end a season,” said Smith. “Being in this situation is something that if it had been introduced to me a year ago, two years ago, I would have jumped up.”
That’s because, a year ago, few thought Smith would return to the squad, let alone start six games as he did this season. He said he warned Washington coach Ron Rivera that he could play if necessary. But Smith also said his calf limited him in the second half of Week 17’s victory over Philadelphia.
Rivera said establishing the defender’s position will be an off-season priority. He said he will meet with owner Dan Snyder to set out his vision for the future and then they will meet as a team on Monday to discuss the assessment process.
But when Smith’s future was mentioned, Rivera simply said that they would assess the situation. However, Rivera expressed admiration for Smith trying to recover from his calf injury, which Smith said was more than just a calf injury, although he did not elaborate.
“He is one of the most selfless players I have ever met,” said Rivera.
Smith’s return from his injury in 2018 was questioned almost every step of the way, even by people in the organization, because they knew his history – 17 surgeries; near the amputation of his right leg – and they watched his ESPN documentary, “Project 11”.
Smith had to pressure Rivera this summer to make him on the 53-player roster and not the injured reserve. He was inactive for the first four games and then became the reserve when Dwayne Haskins was eliminated and Kyle Allen was the starter. Smith became the starter after Allen broke his ankle.
Smith ended up starting six games, with Washington winning five of them. His statistics were not good: Smith posted a total CBR of 34.7 in a league where the average was 66.4; he launched six touchdowns for eight interceptions. But the players praised his leadership and how he kept them calm on the pitch.
“There is an intangible that some guys have and have and Alex has it,” said Rivera. “Can you be replaced? You will have to find a guy who has the same kind of intangibles and these guys are special. They only show up once in a while. Alex has that kind of intangible. Part of that is because of his experience., the game he played and, obviously, what he went through. “
When asked if it would complicate Smith’s decision to leave, Rivera said, “I don’t know. This is something we will have to examine and talk about, for sure.”
If Smith still wants to play, but Washington dismisses him, that will save $ 13.8 million in the salary cap. Smith has two more years on the contract and would count $ 24.4 million in the salary cap if he stayed with Washington.
The franchise got Smith in a 2018 negotiation with the Kansas City Chiefs. Since he arrived, Washington has had a combined 11-5 with him as a starter and 6-26 with any other.
He said losing Saturday’s game was “really difficult”.
“Frustrated in the sense that I felt so good, I felt that I had gone so far in the Pittsburgh game [on Dec. 7] to hobble a little and fight it, “he said.” It is frustrating not to fulfill your part of the agreement. “
But if his last game was a victory in Week 17, Smith seemed OK with that.
“It was more about the attempt and the journey than the result,” he said. “If I hadn’t tried to go back, I would have slept well at night knowing that I tried. I am grateful to be here now.”
Smith’s love of playing has not diminished; but both he and Washington must decide at what level he can still play.
“That feeling you get when you’re away from it, you can’t find it anywhere,” he said. “You cannot duplicate. You move away from it and lose quickly.”