Washington quarterback Alex Smith
Former Kansas City Chiefs and current Washington Football Team quarterback Alex Smith has given some insight on when he’ll make a decision about his future in the NFL. Speaking with NBC Sports Washington’s J.P. Finlay Thursday, the 36-year-old revealed he’s waiting until the offseason to determine whether he’ll continue with the sport.
“Those are conversations for an offseason. For me, I love lacing up my cleats every single day. I love throwing the helmet on every single day. I’m having an amazing time. There’s a long time I didn’t think this was ever going to be remotely possible. I love going out there and competing and so for me [it’s] about moving forward and getting better and getting ready to beat the Giants.
“I know you don’t want to hear that but certainly, there’s so much time in the offseason to obviously reflect and make those kinds of decisions and you leave that for that kind of time.”
Smith played his first snap in just under 700 days in Week 5. This milestone marked the end of an almost two-year absence under center following a gruesome leg injury in 2018 after coming down on a sack against the Houston Texans.
Nearly two years after a life-threatening leg injury, Alex Smith has returned to the field.
(via @NFL)
It was a moment few thought wold ever happen, and it was properly celebrated by fans of his respective teams and football in general. Chiefs Kingdom in particular showed their former franchise quarterback an immense amount of support.
Alex Smith is forever part of #ChiefsKingdom He was a huge part of our franchise turnaround! So great that he’s back on the field!
BREAKING: Alex Smith is in for Washington. This is great news for #ChiefsKingdom and for all #Chiefs fans everywhere. What a comeback!
Per NBC Sports Washington, the 2005 No. 1 overall pick’s contract runs through 2022, with $40 million left to earn over the next two campaigns. Kyle Allen is still the starting quarterback in Washington, but Smith will also suit up when his side faces NFC East rivals the New York Giants Sunday.
Smith Offers up High Praise for Dwayne Haskins
Former Ohio State standout Dwayne Haskins’ professional career as a starter temporarily came to an end in Week 3 after the sophomore slinger was benched in favor of Kyle Allen. As someone who knows a thing or two about being replaced, Smith offered up nothing but support for his colleague.
It’s even harder when you’re a young guy. For me, it’s happened multiple times, you know, as far as getting traded and the team moving on from you,” Smith said, via NBC Washington. “Everybody even in life, even in football, no one has it easy. The bumps come. As frustrating as it could be, You got to continue to improve and reach his potential. That’s what his job is. He has a high ceiling and he’s got to work towards it.
“As a young quarterback, he’s got so much ahead of him. you can’t let something like this sidetrack you. This is a crazy game. You never know when the next opportunity is going to come and you better be ready for it.”
Though it remains unclear when Haskins will call his next snap, team head coach Ron Rivera did tell reporters in a video conference Sunday he’s still keen on giving the rising star another chance.
“I really appreciate the way he’s been working. Dwayne is understanding, and, again, he and I have talked, and I told him, I said, ‘Dwayne, this really is about your development and growth,’ and he’s a young, young quarterback. I’ve said this before: He played, what, 12 games in college or 13 games in college, and then he’s in the NFL and he played a smattering of games last year. This year, we gave him a lot of opportunities, and you still see the rawness.”
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