Redskins quarterback Alex Smith opens up about catastrophic injury

Ever since his catastrophic injury suffered against the Texans, Redskins quarterback Alex Smith has strayed from the spotlight.

Not all of it was due to choice. Upon suffering a compound fracture in his tibia and fibula, the Washington Redskins signal caller was rushed to the hospital, where he underwent surgery. Several complications and infections later, Alex Smith was wearing an external fixator on his right leg; a device designed to keep his leg held together after reconstruction.

Since it was first revealed that Smith’s injury was not only season-ending, but career-threatening, the quarterback has all but disappeared from the timeline. The Redskins drafted a first round quarterback with the intention of starting life after Alex Smith early, and they also traded for Case Keenum to add depth and security.

They’ve retooled their quarterback room, but with all these new faces, don’t forget about Alex Smith. Smith is still working to get back.

Recently, Smith appeared on Angie Goff’s podcast and spoke at length about his injury, and the aftermath, for the very first time. Among other things, Smith spoke about how challenging it was, both mentally and physically, to recover from his injury thus far, and he shared information on where he currently is, in his recovery. Here’s a quote from the discourse. You can see the full interview via the link above.

“When you have your independence and then lose it, that was the hardest part… The steps I’m at right now are lifestyle steps. I’m still working on playing basketball with my kids and, you know, running around after my daughter, so there’s all those things I have to conquer anyway, before I get to where I’m walking on the field. I’m looking forward to it. I’m excited about that challenge. The stronger I get every week, the more I do, the more hopeful I am that that’s a real possibility.”

Smith also said that he hopes to have the external fixator off in four to six more weeks, and that after he has the fixator removed, he can learn to run and use his leg again, and slowly put more pressure on himself. Most people wouldn’t be too keen on having an external fixator in their leg, but Alex Smith looked at it from an optimistic point of view.

“This thing’s gonna save my leg,” he exclaimed at one point.

For now, there’s still some saving left to do. But Alex Smith isn’t sulking his shoulders. He’s ready to meet any challenge that stands in his way, and maybe, with enough patience and hard work, whether it be in Washington or elsewhere, he’ll be able to hit the field again.