ASHBURN, Virginia – Washington football team defender Alex Smith decided long ago that he wants to work hard during his recovery to see where he can go. He took him back to the starting lineup. Now he has another decision to make: does he want to continue playing?
Smith said he had not yet reached any conclusions about his future, saying it would take a few weeks to rest his head and talk about his future with his wife, Elizabeth.
“I had so much fun this year, going back to the locker room and the field to play a game I love and get lost in is one of the great feelings in the world,” Smith said. “My wife has been through a lot, my family has been through a lot, but this is for another time and place.”
Smith was unable to play 31-23 in the Washington playoff game in Tampa Bay on Saturday night due to a tense right leg muscle suffered on December 13th. He reiterated on Sunday what he had often said: the leg injury has nothing to do with the broken fibula and tibia from 2018.
“It’s not the way you want to end a season,” Smith said. “Being in this situation is something that, if it had been presented to me a year ago, two years ago, I would have jumped on it.”
That’s because a year ago, few thought Smith would return to the roster, let alone start six games as he did this season. He said he told Washington coach Ron Rivera he could play if needed. But Smith also said his calf limited him in the second half of Week 17’s win over Philadelphia.
Rivera said that establishing the position of defender will be a priority outside the season. He said he will meet with owner Dan Snyder to set out his vision for the future and then meet on Monday as staff to discuss the appraisal process.
But when Smith’s future was mentioned, Rivera would simply say they would assess the situation. However, Rivera expressed admiration for Smith’s attempt to return from the calf injury, which Smith said was more than a calf injury, though he did not explain.
“He’s one of the most altruistic players I’ve ever met,” Rivera said.
Smith’s return from the 2018 injury was questioned at almost every step, even by the people in the organization, because they knew his story – 17 operations; close to the amputation of his right leg – and they watched his ESPN documentary, “Project 11.”
Smith had to lobby for Rivera this summer because he was on the 53-man list and was not injured. He was inactive for the first four games and then became a backup when Dwayne Haskins was on the bench and Kyle Allen was the starter. Smith became a starter after Allen broke his ankle.
Smith started six games, with Washington winning five. His stats weren’t great: Smith had a total QBR of 34.7 in a league where the average was 66.4; threw six touchdowns on eight interceptions. But the players praised his leadership and the way he kept them calm on the field.
“There is an intangible that some guys have and possess, and Alex has it,” Rivera said. “Can it be replaced? You’ll have to find a guy who has the same kind of intangible, and those guys are special. They come from time to time. Alex has that kind of intangible. Part of that is due to his experience, the game on who played it and, obviously, what he went through ”.
When asked if this would complicate a decision to move from Smith, Rivera said, “I don’t know. That’s something we’re going to have to look at and talk about, that’s for sure.”
If Smith still wants to play, but Washington reduces it, he would save $ 13.8 million on the salary cap. Smith has two more years left on his contract and would count $ 24.4 million on his salary cap if he stayed in Washington.
The franchise acquired Smith in a 2018 deal with Kansas City bosses. Since his arrival, Washington has combined 11-5 with him as a starter and 6-26 with anyone else.
He called the lack of Saturday’s game “very difficult.”
“Frustrating in the sense that I felt so good, I felt like I got so far through the Pittsburgh game. [on Dec. 7] to limp a little and fight it, “he said.” It’s frustrating not to hold the end of the fair. “
But if his last game was the Week 17 win, Smith sounded OK with that.
“It was more about the trial and the journey than the result,” he said. “If I had come short trying to get back, I would have slept very well at night knowing I tried. I’m grateful I’m here right now.”
Smith’s love for the game did not wane; but both he and Washington must decide at what level he can play.
“The feeling he gives you, when you’re away from him, you can’t find him anywhere,” he said. “You can’t duplicate it. You walk away from it and you miss it quickly.”