Washington football team defender Alex Smith said his return has thrown a “key” into the team’s plans this season and that he did not feel wanted by the organization this summer.
Smith, NFL Player of the Year, told GQ Magazine that he surprised the organization by being able to play.
“They didn’t see him, they didn’t want me there, they didn’t want me to be part of it, they didn’t want me to be on the team, the list of players, they didn’t want to give me a chance,” Smith told the magazine. “Beware, it was a whole new regime, they came in; they’re like leftovers and I’m hurt and that’s the responsibility.
“Heck no, they didn’t want me there. At that moment, as you can imagine, everything I went through could not have cared less about all this. Whether you like it or not, I give you this is a moment in this moment. “
Smith’s words call into question his desire to stay with the organization and how much frustration he still has. Washington is open to detaining Smith and building more offenses, but the team is also exploring other options for the defender because of the question of whether Smith can stay healthy for a full season.
Smith has a maximum hit of $ 24.4 million, and Washington would save $ 13.8 million if released.
“We are still in a situation where we are looking at all our options,” coach Ron Rivera said earlier this month.
Smith has not said for sure that he will return, but sources have told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler that he wants to continue playing. And Smith’s own words in several interviews strongly suggest that this is the case. He and Rivera had several conversations earlier this month, although neither said much about them.
“I stayed,” Smith said in a GQ interview. “It simply came to our notice then. So I really want to get into the flesh of this off-season 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, he answers. 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 lot of contributions. So we’ll see. “
The team declined to respond to Smith’s comments.
In camp, Rivera said he was following what doctors told him about Smith’s recovery. Washington was also entering what it thought would be a year of rebuilding, and a 35-year-old defender in Smith’s condition who had detached from a straight tibia and fibula was not trying to plan. the future. Rivera inherited a 3-13 team and wanted to see if two-year-old defender Dwayne Haskins could become a long-term starter.
Washington wanted to put Smith in the injured reserve before the final cuts, which would have ended the season. That week, Smith and Rivera had a long meeting, and then Smith met the next day with Rivera and offensive coordinator Scott Turner to convince them he should be on the list.
Doubts were widespread. Smith acknowledged that there was a “very small group” of people who thought they could do this. Several sources in the organization said after watching his documentary about ESPN that he did not think a doctor would delete him for contact.
Smith opened his camp on the physical list unable to perform, although his personal doctors allowed him to return. One of these doctors, Robin West, serves as Washington’s chief orthopedist.
Slowly, their thoughts changed. Smith remained on the PUP list until August 16, showing the coaches that he was no longer injured and simply had to be tested on the field. However, at the time there were close sources wondering if Smith would be able to play – or at what level. His injury left him with his foot down, which sometimes causes his foot to crawl. It also required special orthoses in its clamps.
Washington gradually made him practice more, but did not put him in training between 11 and 11 until late in training camp – after pressuring the coaches to give him a chance.
“I felt like I still hadn’t been shaken at the time,” Smith told GQ. “I wanted to see if I could play defender and play football and I feel like I haven’t been given that opportunity to find out yet. It’s like getting so close to the finish line of a marathon and they tell you “You can’t finish the race. It’s like. That’s it. I’ve finished this thing. At least I’ll see if I can. So I’m grateful I worked through all this, but no, it wasn’t like my open arms were coming back.” after two years “.
Smith was No. 3 in the first four games, but was raised to No. 2 when Rivera replaced Dwayne Haskins. Smith returned to the field after Kyle Allen suffered a concussion against the Los Angeles Rams and was fired six times. Allen suffered an ankle injury at the end of the season three weeks later against the New York Giants, forcing Smith to enter the starting lineup next week against the Detroit Lions.
Washington went 5-1 in the games started by Smith. His stats were modest – he threw five touchdowns on five interceptions as a starter. There were six and eight in general, respectively. But its impact was obvious for a young team that needs guidance on the field. Smith was an almost unanimous choice as NFL Player of the Year.
Smith suffered a bruised bone on December 13 and played just one more game, a division title victory over Philadelphia in the regular season finale. He lobbied hard to play in the Tampa Bay playoffs, but Rivera opted for Taylor Heinicke, fearing Smith’s lack of mobility with persistent foot problems would lead to problems against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense.
No matter how the coaches felt about Smith in August, their thoughts evolved as the season progressed.
“When you see what Alex went through and just his desire and desire to come back and the joy and thrill he gets playing, it was very inspiring for me to watch him,” Rivera said in December.
He also praised Smith’s leadership.
“There is an immaterial that some guys have and possess,” Rivera said. “Alex has it. Can it be replaced? Well, you’re going to have to find a guy who has the same types of intangibles. Those guys are special. They only meet from time to time.”