The team clears space below the salary cap by letting go of the quarterback, who won the 2020 Comeback of the Year award.
The quarterback Alex Smith, which won the prize Comeback Player of the Year in 2020 after helping Washington to win the title from NFC East, he was released by the franchise on Friday, sources told Adam Schefter ESPN
Washington, which closed the 2020 season with seven wins and nine defeats, was looking for a new quarterback, like Smith He will be 37 in May and he also had a $ 24.4 million impact on the salary ceiling, so releasing him was inevitable.
Such a measure would be under Washington up to $ 14.9 million in salary cap and Smith becomes a free agent. The quarterback had two more years on his contract after signing with the franchise in 2018, and on more than one occasion has made it clear he wanted to keep playing.
However, his stay on the team was determined by the fracture of the tibia and fibula that he sustained in November 2018, which prompted him to play again until October 11, 2020. Smith He underwent 17 surgeries to fight an infection that put his leg at risk of amputation.
Washington kept him on his staff because it was too expensive to get rid of; but they were not clear whether he would play again. Many doubted he would succeed, but many within the organization trusted that “if anyone could do it, it was Alex.”
Despite everything, after a documentary from ESPN Last year, some members of the organization wondered if a doctor would let the veteran quarterback play, but the athlete passed all tests and was fired. The challenge was the next level: training with the team and simulating the games on the field.
Smith He did everything and after Dwayne Haskins Jr. sat on the couch and Kyle Allen was hurt, Smith started six games in the 2020 season. Washington he left with five wins and one loss in that period. The team had been 11-5 for the past three years Smith as a starter and 6-27 when another quarterback started.
For his part, the quarterback told GQ magazine that his return was something the organization hadn’t expected and that he didn’t feel obligated by the franchise last summer.
“They don’t see me, they don’t want me there, they don’t want me to be part of them, they don’t want me on the team, the squad, they don’t want me a chance,” he said. Smith‘I’m like leftovers and I’m hurt. At this point, as you can imagine, I’ve been through it all. I can’t believe they care so little. ‘
Yes OK Smith has not said he plans to play in 2021, sources confirm Jeremy Fowler of ESPN that his wish is to play again.
The value of Smith He went above and beyond his stats last season, throwing six touchdowns for eight interceptions. His calm demeanor, experience and leadership proved valuable to his teammates. Washington he debuted rookie Antonio Gibson as a running back, and of his top five wide receivers, only one finished last season with over 58 receptions; recipient Dontrelle Inman. Yes Washington I wouldn’t have much production, at least I needed someone who could handle the game like that Smith
Smith He sustained a bruise on his calf during the first half of the December 13 win against the San Francisco 49ers, preventing him from playing for the rest of the game. He missed the next two games, both losses, and struggled in part due to an injury late in the season. Smith to play in the playoff game of Washington against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but he didn’t move enough for the coaches’ liking and was inactive.
Smith, the # 1 overall design choice in 2005 with the 49ers, has started with 167 career games. His team’s record in those games is 99-67-1. He spent seven years with the 49ers, who traded him to the Kansas City Chiefs. Smith spent five years with the Chiefs; who were 1-4 in the playoffs with him. Kansas City selected Patrick Mahomes in the first round of the draft in 2017 and after that season the team traded to Smith a Washington in exchange for cornerback Kendall Fuller and a third round pick.
Washington gave quarterback Taylor Heinicke a two-year contract extension with incentives of $ 8.75 million. Kyle Allen is a free agent and they expect him to come back. While Steven Montez signed as a free agent last preseason.