Project 11, a one-hour documentary about Washington Redskins quarterback Alex Smith’s road to recovery after the leg injury that nearly ended his life, premieres Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT on a special episode of ESPN’s E:60
If you don’t have cable, here’s how to watch Project 11 on your computer, phone, Roku, Fire TV Stick, or other streaming device:
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Watch ESPN on Hulu With Live TV
ESPN is included in Hulu With Live TV, which comes with 60-plus live TV channels and Hulu’s extensive on-demand library of TV shows and movies:
Once signed up for Hulu With Live TV, you can watch Project 11 live or on-demand on your computer via the Hulu website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Echo Show, or other streaming device via the Hulu app.
You can also watch the documentary either live or on-demand on the ESPN app if you sign in using your Hulu credentials.
Watch ESPN on Sling TV
Sling TV’s “Sling Orange” package comes with 32 channels, including ESPN. It costs $20 for the first month ($30 per month after that), which makes Sling the cheapest streaming service with the ESPN channels if you plan on keeping it long term:
Once signed up for Sling TV, you can watch Project 11 live or on-demand on your computer via the Sling TV website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, or other streaming device via the Sling TV app.
You can also watch the documentary live or on-demand on the ESPN app if you sign in using your Sling credentials.
Watch ESPN on AT&T TV Now
AT&T TV Now (formerly DirecTV Now) offers six different channel bundles. They range from 45 to 125 live TV channels, and they all include ESPN:
Once signed up for AT&T TV Now, you can watch Project 11 live or on-demand on your computer via the AT&T TV Now website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, or other compatible streaming device via the AT&T TV app.
You can also watch the documentary live or on-demand on the ESPN app if you sign in using your AT&T TV Now credentials.
‘Project 11’ Preview
During a game in November of 2018, Smith, quarterback for Washington, was hit by J.J. Watt and Kareem Jackson of the Houston Texans. His life would never be the same. Smith suffered a broken tibia and fibula in his right leg on the 33rd anniversary of legendary Washington quarterback Joe Theismann’s infamous career-ending leg injury. Same team, same position, same day — but Smith is looking for a different end result. He wants to play again, and his journey back to the field post-injury is one of many things highlighted in the film.
The hour-long documentary takes a deep dive into Smith’s life and recovery since the injury. Project 11, a reference to Smith’s jersey number, features interviews with Smith’s former coaches including Urban Meyer, who coached him at Utah, Jim Harbaugh and Mike McCarthy, who coached him at San Francisco, along with Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid and Chicago Bears head coach Matt Nagy, his coaches while he was with the Chiefs.
“No NFL player has ever been through what Alex Smith has,” said Andy Tennant, who served as the doc’s executive producer. “He’s normally a very private person but he wanted to document his road to recovery as well and as detailed as possible, with the hope that future players could use it as a road map. The access that he and his family granted to E60 is incredible and viewers will see a story of strength, dedication, and perseverance.”
Smith had a total of 17 surgeries on his leg, but he almost lost his limb and his life when infection set in. “I was supposed to get discharged. The initial surgery went great, bone was lined up. I had several plates put in my leg and everything looked great,” Smith said in February. “I was getting ready to go home, it was right before Thanksgiving. That’s when the initial infection was spotted, this is a few days after the surgery. I went septic. It was an infection that had gotten into my blood, and at that point, I don’t remember much for a few weeks.”
The access Smith and his wife Elizabeth gave the cameras was new to them, but they thought telling their story felt like the best way to share their experiences with others. “It’s not really our style,” Smith said in an interview with The San Francisco Chronicle. “We’re pretty private. But when the doctors spoke to us about doing this, we thought it might be worthwhile. It was such a unique experience.”
The trailer for the documentary gives a peek into one of the things about the experience that was so unique for Smith. “I think I’m so used to my body responding how I want it to respond. I had high expectations for this process and that I could knock it out of the park, and I think I’ve had to slow that a little bit.”
Smith wants to play football again, and the rehabilitation process he has to go through in order to have a chance at playing in the future is also featured.
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How to Watch ESPN Alex Smith Documentary Online Without Cable