Ashburn, Virginia – Washington Football Team Alex Smith He decided long ago that he wanted to push hard during his recovery to see where he could take him. Take him back to the starting lineup. Now he has another decision to make: Does he want to keep playing?
Smith said he has not reached any conclusions yet about his future, saying it will take him a few weeks to clear his mind and talk about his future with his wife Elizabeth.
“I’ve had a lot of fun this year, going back to the dressing room and playing a game I love and losing yourself in it is one of the great feelings in the world,” Smith said. “My wife has gone through a lot. My family has gone through a lot, but this is another time and place.”
Smith was unable to play in Washington’s 31–23 loss to Tampa Bay Saturday night due to an injury to his right calf muscle on December 13. After this point, Smith played in one match. On Sunday, he repeated what he had said over and over: A calf injury had nothing to do with the 2018 shin bone fracture.
“This is not the way you want to end the season,” Smith said. “Even being in this position is something that had he introduced me a year ago, two years ago, I would have jumped into it.”
That’s because a year ago, few thought Smith would put him back on the roster, let alone start six matches like he did this season. He said he had briefed Washington coach Ron Rivera about the possibility of playing if needed. But Smith also said his calf severed him in the second half of Week 17 of the victory over Philadelphia.
Rivera said settling mid-back would be a priority outside the season. He said he will meet owner Dan Snyder to lay out his vision for the future and then meet as employees on Monday to discuss the evaluation process.
But when Smith’s future was mentioned, Rivera was simply saying they would assess the situation. Rivera, however, expressed admiration for Smith’s attempt to come back from a calf injury, which Smith said was more than just a calf injury, although he did not go into detail.
“He’s one of the most selfish players in my life,” Rivera said.
Smith’s return from his injury in 2018 was questioned nearly every step of the way, even by the people in the organization, because they know his story – 17 surgeries; Near the amputation of his right leg – and watch his ESPN documentary “Project 11.”
Smith had to put pressure on Rivera this summer because he’s on a list of 53 men and not an injured reserve. He was inactive for the first four matches and then became a reserve when Dwayne Haskins was on the bench and Kyle Allen It was the beginning. Smith became the initiator after Allen broke his ankle.
Smith ended up starting six matches, and Washington won five of them. His stats weren’t great: Smith scored a total of 34.7 QQs in the league where the average was 66.4. Threw six touchdowns for eight interceptions. But the players praised his leadership and how he kept their cool on the field.
Rivera said, “There is something intangible that some players have and Alex owns.” You have to find a guy who has the same kind of intangible things and these guys are special. They only come once in a while. Alex has this kind of intangible thing. Part of it is due to his experience, the game he played and it’s clear what Who passed by. “
When asked if that would complicate Smith’s move, Rivera said, “I don’t know. This is something we have to look at and talk about, that’s for sure.”
If Smith still wanted to play but Washington cut him, he would save $ 13.8 million from the maximum salary. Smith had another two years on his contract and would count $ 24.4 million on the maximum salary if he stayed with Washington.
The franchise earned Smith in the 2018 trade with the Kansas City Chiefs. Since his arrival, Washington has gone with him 11-5 as a rookie and 6-26 with everyone else.
He described the absence from Saturday’s match as “really difficult.”
Frustrated in the sense that I felt so good, it felt like I got pretty far through the Pittsburgh match [on Dec. 7] To stumble a little and fight through this. “This is disappointing not to delay the end of the deal,” he said.
But if his last game was a win at Week 17, Smith seemed to agree.
“It was more about the trial and the journey than the result,” he said. “If I had come back a little trying to come back, I would have slept well at night knowing I tried. I’m grateful to be here now.”
Smith’s love for playing has not diminished. But he and Washington must decide at which level they can still play.
“This feeling gives you, when you are away from it, you can’t find it anywhere,” he said. “You can’t repeat it. You walk away and miss it quickly.”
