After Alex Smith suffered a spiral and compound fracture to his tibia and fibula in his right leg in November 2018, not many expected him to return to the football field. Smith developed life-threatening necrotizing fasciitis that resulted in sepsis, which required him to undergo 17 surgeries.

But after almost two years on the sidelines, the veteran NFL quarterback made his fairytale return last year.

Smith came on in place of injured quarterback, Kyle Allen, in the Week 5 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. He was later declared as a first-choice starter in Week 10 and ended the season with a 5-1 record. Smith threw for 1,582 yards with 6 passing TDs as he was voted the AP Comeback Player of the Year.

But after his recent interview with GQ, it was obvious that there was more to his comeback story than what he believed in 2020. Now, Washington Football Team has confirmed that Smith will depart the franchise this summer.

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What next for veteran quarterback Alex Smith after his fairytale 2020 season?

Despite Smith’s apparent dismissal, Washington head coach Ron Rivera issued an official statement.

“I had a chance to meet with Alex Smith this week and we had a very honest and real discussion. We had the chance to reflect on the 2020 season and talk about moving forward into next year. After the conclusion of that meeting we decided that it would be best for both parties to move on and we will be granting Alex his request to be released.”

“I want to thank Alex for his contributions this past year. He made such an impact on our young roster and his leadership was one of the key factors in our late-season success and in making the playoffs for the first time since 2015. Everyone here in Washington wishes Alex and his family the best going forward and appreciates all that he gave to our organization.”

Smith’s release will save Washington a reported $14.7 million under its 2021 salary cap. They are currently looking to bring in a quarterback this summer with youngster Taylor Heinicke, Kyle Allen, and Steven Montez, the only players on their roster. It will be interesting to see if they can secure a big-name signing in the coming weeks.

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