Despite dealing with an injury during the final weeks of the 2020 season, Alex Smith doesn't seem ready to retire from the NFL.
This may comes as a shock to some fans after what has transpired over the past two years for Smith and the Washington Football Team.
Washington made a trade with the Chiefs in Jan. 2018 to acquire Smith, extended him, and shortly into first season in D.C., he suffered a gruesome compound leg fracture requiring a multitude of surgeries to save his leg from amputation.
While Smith was recovering from his injury, Washington went through several quarterbacks. From Colt McCoy, to Mark Sanchez, to Josh Johnson, to Case Keenum, to Dwayne Haskins, to Kyle Allen, all the way to Taylor Heinicke.
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Washington entered the 2020 NFL Season with three QBs on the roster: The team's first-round pick from a season ago, a young backup familiar with the system, and an aging veteran.
After Haskins was benched for ineffectivness and Allen went down in Week 9 to a gruesome leg injury, Ron Rivera opted to give the veteran a chance to be the starter again.
Smith came out of the gate rusty, but his consistent play helped the Washington Football Team rattle off enough wins to contend for a playoff spot. With the inside track on winning the division, Smith went down with a calf strain in Washington's win over the San Francisco 49ers in Week 14, largely in part to the defense contributing two touchdowns. The following week, with Smith unable to play, Rivera gave Haskins the reins against the Seattle Seahawks, and he failed miserably.
Hours after the loss, Haskins was photographed maskless at a party for his girlfriend. He was stripped of his captainship, fined by the team, but with Smith unable to suit up in Week 16 against the Panthers in a playoff-clinching game, Haskins was trotted back out onto the field. He struggled yet again, before being benched for the recently signed Heinicke.
The following day, Haskins was released by the WFT, and Smith was named the starter in the season finale against the Eagles. He was essentially immobile due to lingering effects of his injury, and Washington squeaked out a win after the Eagles benched starting QB Jalen Hurts in favor of backup Nate Sudfeld.
Washington was headed to the Wild-Card against Tampa Bay, but Smith's status for the game was in question, and hours before kickoff, it was announced that Smith was inactive, and Heinicke would be given the start.
The former Old Dominion star dazzled on national television, but the WFT was unable to secure the win, ultimately ending their magical season.
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This brings us to today: Of the three QBs Rivera had at the season's start one has been released, one of them might still retire, and one is coming off a bad leg injury.
So what do they do for next season?
Playoff 'hero' Heinicke is an unrestricted free agent but would be willing to stay in D.C.
And judging by Smith's comments to "60 Minutes," it looks increasingly clear he wants to continue playing and is still under contract with the Burgundy and Gold.
“I had so much fun this year, especially given all the covid stuff,” he said during a video conference call with reporters the day following the loss to the Buccaneers. “But to be back in the locker room, to be on the field with the guys, to be playing a game I love and to lose yourself in it, it’s one of the greatest feelings in the world. You cannot duplicate it outside of here. … My wife has been through a lot, and my family, certainly I’m going to take their input. But that’s something that right now I’m still just living in the moment and not getting ahead of myself. That is for another time and place.”
According to Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post, the final two years of Smith’s contract have non-guaranteed salaries of $18.75 million and $20.75 million. Should Washington keep him on this contract, he would have a salary cap hit of $24.4 million next season. If Washington cuts him before June 1, $10.8 million would count against the salary cap, but the team would save $13.6 million.
Washington has a ton of cap space available to lure a quarterback, but the options are limited.
According to DraftKings, as of Friday, January 15, the Washington Football Team projected to have $43,525,860 in cap space for 2021. That is the fifth-highest in the NFL.
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The team could roll the dice with Smith again, but his decline has been noticeable and Rivera may want to go in a different direction.
Allen is an Exclusive Rights Free Agent this offseason (ERFA). The NFL defines an ERFA as: Any player with fewer than three accrued seasons and an expired contract. If his original team offers him a one-year contract and the league minimum (based on his credited seasons), the player cannot negotiate with other teams.
Other options include:
• Texans star Deshaun Watson, who reportedly wants out.
• Lions QB Matthew Stafford, who is ready to move on from Detroit.
And, of course, Washington owns 19th overall pick in April's draft if they want to dip their toes back into those waters.
The Washington Football Team has a big decision to make in the coming months, and it will be something to keep an eye on.