Washington Football Team QB Alex Smith wins Comeback Player of the Year

Washington Football Team quarterback Alex Smith has won the 2020 Comeback Player of the Year award. It’s entirely deserved, as few have come back from worse.

The Washington Football Team beat insurmountable odds and won the NFC East in 2020, making the playoffs as an outside candidate. The defense was the prime engine behind that surprise success, but one could argue it wouldn’t have been possible without the resilience and influence of veteran signal caller Alex Smith.

Smith’s 2020 stats don’t jump off the page. In eight games and six starts, Smith completed 168 of 252 pass attempts (66.7% completion) for 1,582 yards, six touchdowns, and eight interceptions, good for a quarterback rating of 78.5.

Despite his statistical underperformance, however, Smith was 5-1 down the stretch as a starter. Among those five wins was an inspiring victory against the then-undefeated Pittsburgh Steelers, as well as a playoff-clinching Week 17 triumph against the Philadelphia Eagles. Smith was a key catalyst in the team’s midseason turnaround, and provided a valuable steady hand to an offensive unit that struggled to execute early.

Nevertheless, even beyond his quantitative accomplishments, the most impressive part of Smith’s comeback rests in the struggle. Smith suffered a compound fracture of his right tibia and fibula in November of 2018 — an ailment that more resembled a combat wound than a football injury. He had surgery, and subsequently fought a post-surgery infection that threatened his life.

Once beyond his infection, Smith’s leg needed drastic reconstruction. Simply running again was viewed as an optimistic projection. Playing football was an afterthought — for everyone but Smith. The Washington Football Team quarterback underwent an arduous rehabilitation process, missing the 2019 season as he aimed to strengthen his leg again.

Smith entered 2020 with aspirations to play the following season, and he soon converted on those aspirations. In July, he was cleared by his doctors to ramp up football activity, and was activated off of the PUP list in mid-August. He entered the year as the third-string quarterback to Dwayne Haskins and Kyle Allen, and took over for Allen when the latter suffered a season-ending injury against the Rams. From there, Smith’s command took hold, and he won games, as he’s done his entire career.

Unfortunately for Smith, a calf issue prevented him from seeing the field in the playoffs against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But that doesn’t at all dilute the comeback that Smith mounted in his return to football. Smith wasn’t supposed to put on pads again. He went beyond that. He returned, and gave his young football team an example of relentless resilience to follow, as they battled through adversity to reach the NFC playoffs.

A performance worthy of the Comeback Player of the Year award.