Redskins: Relationship between Alex Smith and Jay Gruden a healthy one

Talent is a crucial component to any successful NFL team, but the Redskins know full well that leadership has just as great an impact.

Throughout the course of Dan Snyder’s tenure in D.C., the Washington Redskins have failed to find stability at two key leadership positions: Quarterback, and head coach. Since Snyder took ownership of the team in 1999, the Redskins have churned through eight head coaches and seventeen starting quarterbacks.

That said, the turnover rate has sharply declined in recent years. Current head coach Jay Gruden has held command of the team since 2014, amassing a record of 28-25-1 since 2015, a stark contrast from the sub .500 seasons that mired the franchise before his arrival.

At quarterback, Kirk Cousins held the reigns since 2015, and he proved himself to be a solid starter in the NFL. But when the time came to agree on a long-term contract number, there was no common ground between Cousins and the Redskins front office, and so he left for greener pastures. In turn, the Redskins traded for a quarterback known for his leadership and his steady play: Veteran Alex Smith.

As a quarterback with an offensive-minded coach, the relationship between the coach and the quarterback is a key detail for Alex Smith as he strives to make the playoffs in his first season with Washington. In the latest episode of the Alex Smith Report, a podcast produced by the team’s media, Smith divulged some entertaining and refreshing information on his relationship with Jay Gruden, as well as the coaching nature of Gruden himself.

In the clip, Smith can be quoted as saying the following: “The best thing I appreciate about Jay is that he’s so up front. He’s so honest. There’s no B.S. with Jay. Like, you walk in, he’s gonna cut straight to it. Usually, it’s with a pretty good jab. I mean, Jay is a sarcastic guy, so you come in, and it’s gonna be a good jab. Like, you can’t have thin skin with Jay.”

As a head coach, there is a balance that must be maintained, between hard work and enjoyment of the job at hand. If you don’t enjoy your job, your performance is ultimately going to suffer, and the same goes for a player in the NFL. It’s a head coach’s job to maintain that balance, and a lot of that goes on behind the scenes.

These comments from Smith bring to light one area in which Jay Gruden is unquestionably proficient. He has a way of leading this team, and that leadership style seems to work, as the players themselves speak very highly of that style. He lets his players be themselves, but at the same time, he holds them accountable. Smith acknowledged that the two still have some acclimation to do, in terms of play and scheme, and said that things should get better as they get more side-by-side experience in the season.

Smith, in the full video, went on to talk about the upcoming Giants’ matchup, regarding the 2018 Giants as a team that is much better than their 1-6 record suggests. Whatever the truth is on the matter, Smith, one of the key leaders of the team, isn’t looking past any opponent. That’s a seed that, with the help of the head coach, can have very solid roots.