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Alex Smith’s return to the football field in 2020 after a potentially fatal leg injury has been one of the biggest stories of the NFL season. But Smith said his triumphant return was viewed more as an unwanted obstacle by the Washington football team.
Smith, in an interview on Tuesday with GQ Magazine, said he threw a “wrench” into the WFT quarterback’s plans, adding that the team were surprised to be able to play after returning from an injury on November 18, 2018: a compound fracture that shattered his shin and the fibula on his right leg. A life-threatening infection made matters worse and almost forced doctors to amputate her leg above the knee.
Smith returned to Washington before the start of the 2020 season, but felt he hadn’t given him a ‘crush’ as ​​first-year coach Ron Rivera pointed to second-year quarterback Dwayne Haskins as the team starter.
“When I decided to come back, I definitely threw a wrench into the team’s plan,” Smith told GQ. “They didn’t see it, didn’t want me there, didn’t want me to be part of it, didn’t want me to be part of the team, of the roster, didn’t want to give me lucky Notice it was a whole new diet they came in I’m like the leftovers and I’m hurt and I’m that passive.
“Heck no, they didn’t want me there. At that point, as you can imagine, all that I had been through, I couldn’t have cared less about it all. Like it or not, I give it a go at this point. “
Smith said the team initially attempted to place him in the injured reserve before the final roster reduction, which would have ended any hope of a return in 2020. Instead, he opened the camp on the list of the team physically unable to perform until August 16. Even then, Smith said he was not allowed to participate in fully padded 11-on-11 workouts until late in training camp – and only after that did he push coaches to give him a luck.
“I felt like I still hadn’t had my fair shake at that point,” Smith said. “I wanted to see if I could play the quarterback and play football, and I feel like I haven’t had that opportunity to find out yet. It’s like I’m getting closer to the end of it. ‘a marathon and they tell you that you can’t finish the run. It’s like, “f – that. I’m finishing this stuff. At least I’ll see if I can. “So I’m thankful that we worked on all of this, but no, it wasn’t like open arms coming back after two years.”
Smith started as the team’s No.3 quarterback for the first four games of the season before Rivera opted to bench Haskins (89 of 146 passes, 939 yards, four touchdowns, three interceptions, 13 sacks. ). Smith, then the main substitute, saw his first action in Week 5 after starter Kyle Allen left the game with a concussion. He completed 9 of 17 passes for 37 yards in the 30-10 loss.
Smith didn’t register any stats again until four weeks later, completing 24 of 32 passes for 325 yards and a three-steal touchdown in a 23-20 loss to the Giants. The following week he won his first start, leading the team to four wins in five games. He suffered a bone contusion in a Dec. 13 victory over San Francisco, but returned in the final regular season game to lead the team to a decisive victory over the Eagles. He did not play in the team’s loss to Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay; Rivera instead went with Taylor heinicke.
In six games started, Smith completed 135 of 203 passes for 1,220 yards and five touchdowns in five interceptions. For the season, he completed 168 of 252 passes for 1,582 yards and six touchdowns from eight interceptions.
AFTER: Washington’s Alex Smith Now Has His Own ‘Bloody Sock Game’ Thanks To Twitter
The Washington football team declined to comment on Smith’s interview, which raised the question of whether he would return to play for the team in 2021. His contract runs until the 2022 season, during of which he would become an unrestricted free agent. He has a cap of $ 24.4 million for the team in 2021, per Spotrac; the team would save $ 13.8 million if they released him.
Whether Smith returns to play for Washington remains to be seen. But the 2020 NFL Comeback Player of the Year isn’t interested in hanging up his crampons yet.
“I have more,” Smith told GQ. “I have more to get there too. So I really really want to get into the meat of this offseason and see where I am and push it. I want to push my body harder. I want to push my leg harder.” The harder I push him, the more he responds.
“At some point I’m obviously going to have to sit down with my wife and have a very real conversation, and do we want to do that?” She deserves a ton of comments. So we’ll see.
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