After 16 years in the NFL, former Washington Football Team quarterback Alex Smith has announced his retirement. Smith made the heartfelt announcement via his wife’s Instagram.
San Francisco made Smith the No. 1 overall pick in the 2005 NFL draft, and he spent the first eight seasons of his career with the 49ers.
Smith would move on to Kansas City, where he had his greatest success. He would play five seasons for the Chiefs until he was traded to Washington on Jan. 30, 2018.
During his first season with Washington, Smith had the team in first place in the NFC East before a devastating leg injury in November changed everything for him.
Smith would undergo numerous surgeries, not just to save his leg, but his life, too, before making an epic comeback in 2020. Smith’s return to the field propelled the Washington Football Team to the NFC East division title in 2020.
Unfortunately, Smith battled a bone bruise in his leg and was unable to start in Washington’s wild-card round loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the playoffs.
After the season, Smith met with Washington head coach Ron Rivera and requested his release. At the time, it was presumed Smith was looking for a starting job somewhere else in the NFL.
Smith finishes his career with over 35,000 yards passing with 199 touchdowns and 109 interceptions. He had a record of 99-67-1 as a starting quarterback.
Smith will forever be a legend in the hearts of Washington fans.
