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Three things for Washington Football Team to be thankful for this Thanksgiving

By Conor Forrest

LANDOVER, MARYLAND - NOVEMBER 22: Alex Smith #11 of the Washington Football Team throws the ball during the first half against the Cincinnati Bengals at FedExField on November 22, 2020 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MARYLAND - NOVEMBER 22: Alex Smith #11 of the Washington Football Team throws the ball during the first half against the Cincinnati Bengals at FedExField on November 22, 2020 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) /
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LANDOVER, MARYLAND – NOVEMBER 22: Alex Smith #11 of the Washington Football Team throws the ball during the first half against the Cincinnati Bengals at FedExField on November 22, 2020 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MARYLAND – NOVEMBER 22: Alex Smith #11 of the Washington Football Team throws the ball during the first half against the Cincinnati Bengals at FedExField on November 22, 2020 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) /

Alex Smith

The second thing that Washington can be thankful for this year is Alex Smith. Smith has been one of the most inspiring stories in all sports this year, and that may be underselling just how remarkable his journey back to the field truly has been.

For those who watched the gruesome leg injury that ended his 2018 season, most of us questioned whether he would play again. What very few actually knew was that the weeks following his injury, he wasn’t fighting for his football life. He was fighting for his actual life.

The question of whether or not football was in the cards couldn’t have been more irrelevant as doctors worked to save his life, and hopefully, save his leg.

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But step by step, Smith conquered those challenges. Doctors were able to stabilize him and begin the work to reconstruct his leg. He was able to leave the hospital, start walking with assistance, begin to walk unassisted. While most of us saw his story as a man on a mission to return to walking, he wanted to play football again.

And astoundingly, that is exactly what he ended up doing.

Ron Rivera gave the reigns to second-year QB Dwayne Haskins, and through the first few weeks, Haskins simply wasn’t doing enough. After his replacement, former Panther and undrafted free agent Kyle Allen stepped in, and in his brief time found some success. But a season-ending injury gave Alex Smith the keys to not only play football again but have a chance to lead Washington to the post-season.

However bad Washington or the rest of the NFC East may be, Smith’s journey is one of the best stories to come out of Washington in a number of years. His leadership and character in bringing hope back to the locker room alone is something to be thankful for, and the chance to win a division title with a young team is something the be optimistic about.

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