‘Pretty wild to hear.’ Former Chiefs QB Alex Smith cleared to return to practice
There’s been plenty to dislike about the year 2020, so how about a feel-good story?
Former Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith told ESPN on Friday that he’s been cleared to return to practice less than two years after a horrifying injury during a 2018 game.
As detailed in ESPN’s “Project 11” documentary, after surgery to repair a broken leg, four different bacteria infected Smith’s body including a flesh-eating bacteria. The latter required multiple surgeries and at one point a bone in Smith’s lower leg was visible because the flesh was gone.
Smith’s wife and doctors considered amputating his leg in an effort to save his life. That didn’t happen, and now — amazingly — Smith is preparing for training camp.
“Everyone was in agreement that my bone was in a really good place,” Smith told ESPN’s Stephania Bell. “I had healed a lot. They said that given the combination of the rod and where I was with the healing process, I had zero limitations and could even resume some football activities.
“To hear them say that, from a life standpoint, they wouldn’t restrict me from doing anything — I could go skiing or snowboarding tomorrow if I wanted — then on top of that, to get the green light that I could practice, get contact, that I had healed up, that much was pretty wild to hear. I didn’t know if I would ever hear those words.”
ESPN reported Smith, 36, should report to Washington’s team facility and undergo a team physical on Monday. If all goes well, Washington will then decide how to use him at camp. Smith’s contract runs through the 2022 season. He’s due to make $16 million this year.
You can read more of the ESPN story here.
This story was originally published July 24, 2020 at 8:46 PM.
