In a game of competitors, Redskins quarterback Alex Smith transcends

A chance with the Redskins, left in limbo

It’s at this point where the mind might work against one. Where seeds of doubt might sprout roots, and plant themselves firmly in place. It’s an invasive species Alex Smith has no doubt come across over his long NFL career. Until now, he’s kept it from taking over the conscience.

But now, in a third wave, the odds have mounted against Smith, leaving his NFL future not just in doubt, but leaving it as the least of his worries.

After Smith’s injury against the Houston Texans, he was immediately taken to have surgery. On the way to the hospital, with the bone sticking out of his leg, he asked how Colt McCoy was doing in his place. The surgery itself was successful, but Smith later suffered from complications, and subsequent infections. The resulting carnage saw doctors partially reconstruct his leg, and he’s now in an external fixator. Playing in 2019? Consider it almost impossible. Playing ever again? Consider it a dream to catch.

As a player, Smith was never the most talented on the field. His career totals are modest as a starter, and now with his third team, he’s in danger of being forgotten again, even if he does make a miraculous return. But while he never hit his stride as a passer in D.C., his presence, and his mentality, a competitor on the field, and a brother off it, permeated through the locker room. The intangible became tangible, as Smith’s leadership led Washington, a certifiably average team, to a torrid 6-3 start. Ask 53 players when the Redskins 2018 season fell apart, and you’ll hear the same answer 53 times.

“It all fell apart when Alex Smith went down.”

Under-appreciated everywhere he goes, Smith is given nothing by the sport he loves, and yet, he keeps giving back. In San Francisco, he withstood a dysfunctional organization with one goal in mind: to bring success back to the golden coast. In Kansas City, he was introduced to his replacement, and he showed his replacement how to replace him. In Washington, he almost single-handedly overhauled a culture rendered toxic by a meddling front office.

As a player, Smith is polarizing. But as a competitor, and as a brother in arms, there is consensus: Smith is one of the best.

A player like Smith should deserve a legacy better than the one he’s attained. Smith chose the Redskins, when asked by the Chiefs where he’d prefer to be traded, and he chose them because he saw the Redskins as a chance in waiting. A chance to finally earn the success he’s never asked for. The success he’s showed up early for. The success he’s stayed late for. The success he almost lost his leg for.

Now, Alex Smith’s chance is in limbo. But three times in his career, Alex Smith was discarded. All three times, he came back to compete. The odds against him, however, have never been this great.

If you believe in karma, then Alex Smith will return. For Smith, however, it’s not as simple. It never has been. But don’t expect Smith to ask for anything. His mentality has made him an NFL starter for thirteen years. If his mentality can accomplish that, then perhaps it can bring him back, from the brink of catastrophe.