Alex Smith and family celebrate his return to football activities (Video)

Alex Smith’s family is thrilled that he can play football again

When Washington quarterback Alex Smith broke his leg against the Houston Texans in 2018, many assumed that would be the last snap of NFL the former No. 1 overall pick would see in his career. Against all odds, Smith underwent 17 different surgeries, and those procedures helped rebuild his leg enough to where Washington saw fit to clear him to return to football activities. 

Smith’s family was overjoyed to hear the news that he was cleared for football activity after almost two years without the game, as they showered him with champagne to celebrate his return to the game he loves.

Alex Smith returns to a Washington team in rebuild mode

Smith is a three-time Pro Bowler who took both the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs to the playoffs. The former Utah star has 34,068 yards and 193 touchdowns to his name in the pros.

It remains unclear what Smith’s role will be in Washington. 2019 first-rounder Dwayne Haskins is likely going to start, but the fact that Rivera didn’t select Haskins means he has no loyalty towards the former Ohio State star. Behind Haskins, the QB depth chart consists of Kyle Allen, a solid backup who was forced to start for Rivera in 2019 with the Carolina Panthers, and Steven Montez, a strong-armed Senior Bowl invitee from Colorado who went undrafted due to accuracy concerns.

Even if Smith doesn’t start, the fact that he’s healthy enough to perform is a minor miracle.

There are plenty of reasons to be concerned about Smith. His leg is looking both misshapen and spindly, even after the multitude of procedures performed on it. If he gets tackled awkwardly, who knows what could happen to that leg.

Still, it’s a great sign for Smith that he has been able to overcome his injury to the point where Washington thinks he’s fit enough to play football. Not a single soul in the NFL will be rooting against Smith as he tries to come back.