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Buccaneers’ Head Coach Bruce Arians Picks Washington’s Alex Smith to Win Comeback Player of the Year

Published 01/08/2021, 12:22 PM EST

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USA Today via Reuters

Alex Smith just had a resurgent season in the NFL this year. The veteran quarterback returned to play this season after a significant time away from the field over the past 2 years.

Smith has looked very good so far, albeit a little behind his numbers from the past. But such a drop can be expected from the kind of injury he had to recover from.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Head Coach Bruce Arians spoke to the press ahead of their playoff fixture against the Washington Football Team.

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On the subject of Alex Smith, Arians had high praise for his recovery, and even believes that he should win the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year this season.

He said, “Amazing. He’s should win comeback player of the year. He and Ben Roethlisberger, that’s for sure, with what they went through.

“And to see him back just is fantastic. He is such a great human being and a great player, and it will be a heck of a challenge for us.”

Smith’s return has been a major story this season. Smith joined the Washington Football Team in January 2018. In November 2018, Smith was playing great football. He had helped Washington start the season well and led them to a 6-3 record during the season.

Alex Smith- A return 2 years in the making

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However, in Week 11 of that season, he suffered a horrible leg injury. The injury cost him a significant amount of time away from the field.

The injury was so serious that Smith had to get surgery 17 times in order to help him recover and get back to his field. Many believed that Smith would never play again, given how severe the injury was.

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USA Today via Reuters

However, Smith defied the odds and returned to the field almost 2 years later. Smith played his first game back in October and looked very good. With an injury as severe as his, there were always concerns about Alex Smith injuring himself again.

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This weekend, Alex Smith will start Washington’s playoff game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His story has been absolutely inspiring to watch, and he could cement his return by leading the team to a win over the Buccaneers in the Playoffs.

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Written by:

Aaditya Krishnamurthy

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Aaditya Krishnamurthy is an NBA & NFL journalist for EssentiallySports, before which he worked at BusinessWorld magazine. He has been a fan of Basketball for over 10 years now, since Shaquille O’Neal was a Phoenix Suns player. During his time at Symbiosis School for Liberal Arts, he started a sports magazine for the college called the Overtime Tribune and hosted the Overtime Tribune Podcast until he graduated.
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