After undergoing 17 surgeries following a compound fracture of his right leg, quarterback Alex Smith was cleared for football activity by Washington on Sunday. John McDonnell/The Washington Post via Getty Images In his first season with Washington in 2018, Smith had struggled to adapt to Jay Gruden’s offense but had thrown 10 touchdowns to five interceptions before the injury ended his season. Washington was 6-3 and in first place in the NFC East. They’re 4-19 since his injury.
After the season, numerous teammates said they missed his presence and leadership in the huddle. He also had a large cap hit, making it harder to cut him. Even now Smith would count $32 million vs. the cap if released, though Washington has a $12 million insurance policy that would reduce his number if he was done playing. There was no salary cap in the mid-1980s; Theismann was scheduled to make $1.2 million.
But Theismann said it went beyond a financial consideration. He pointed to Smith’s work throughout the process. Because of their shared injury history — and because Smith played for Washington — the two spoke often during this process. They’ve discussed their injuries; they’ve talked about the on-field movements he must show to convince others he can be effective.
“I was pulling for him from day one,” Theismann said. “In the beginning everyone said he’ll never play again. I never bought that. Knowing Alex as I’ve come to know him and the determination he had. … When you watch the show Project 11, the way the show ends he was so much further ahead than where that show ended. Now he has a chance to go out and do certain things.”
“He has gone through a lot more than I had to go through,” Joe Theismann said in comparing his injury to the one Smith suffered. Nate Fine/Getty Images
Whether Smith actually contends for the starting job remains to be seen. He was cleared for football activity Sunday, but the organization still isn’t sure about the level at which he’s capable of playing. They are going to ease him back into football action, per multiple sources. Coach Ron Rivera and quarterbacks coach Ken Zampese have said the No. 1 thing they want to see is Smith’s ability to protect himself.
“Without any preseason games and without any real live contact, that still remains an open-ended question,” Theismann said. “That, to me, is the only thing Coach Rivera needs to evaluate is: Will he be able to do that?”
Theismann said he can also relate to Smith’s desire to play again after such a gruesome injury.
“You know how hard Alex has worked,” Theismann said. “Before his injury the man carried rocks under water as part of his training. You know how important it is to him and it shows how important football is to him. A lot of people would have said, ‘Why put yourself through this?’ Then again, I don’t think a lot of people understand the athlete. It’s not about the money, it’s about the love of the game and the love of competition. That’s what’s driven Alex.”
And by pushing himself to reach this point, Theismann said Smith has set up the rest of his life.
“What he’s been able to do is create a quality of life for himself at some point when this is over,” Theismann said. “He pushed himself so hard, he can do things he wants with [his wife] Elizabeth and with his kids because he pushed himself so hard. That is to me the ultimate thing that happened.”
