Alex Smith says he’s ‘still moving forward’ on plan to play for Washington in 2020
Former Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith wasn’t on the sidelines for Washington’s games this season, choosing to sit in a suite at FedEx Stadium.
The reason wasn’t a lack of desire to be with his teammates. Instead it was safer for Smith, who was recovering from breaking two bones in his right leg as part of a gruesome injury during a game in November 2018.
Being seen frequently with Washington owner Daniel Snyder led some to speculate that Smith might be angling for a front-office job with the franchise.
On Monday, Smith shot that down, saying he hopes to be back on the field.
“I still have dreams of getting back to where I was and getting back out there,” Smith told NBCSports.com. “This has been a crazy ride with a lot of unforeseen turns, but without a doubt, that’s still my goal.”
Smith doesn’t have a target date for getting back in pads but said he’s working toward his goal of returning in 2020.
“Still progressing. ... Haven’t hit a wall yet, and still moving forward,” Smith told The Washington Post.
The Post story notes Smith has three years remaining on a four-year, $94 million extension he signed in 2018 after being traded from the Chiefs.
Even if Smith works his way back to the point where he can play, there is no guarantee he will regain his starting role. Washington drafted Dwayne Haskins in the first round of this year’s draft and he made seven starts this season.
“For me, that’s the last of my concerns. (Haskins’) path and trajectory and mine are not conflicting each other at all. Any narrative of that, it’s just not real,” Smith told the Post. “My focus, singularly, is just getting back to where I was, and even better. That doesn’t mean I also can’t be a good teammate. Those things aren’t exclusive from one another.”
This story was originally published December 31, 2019 at 8:43 AM.
