So much for Alex Smith‘s remarkable comeback story with the Washington Football Team.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweeted Friday that Washington is releasing Smith in an effort to save nearly $15 million against the salary cap.
Alex Smith, the Comeback Player of the Year, will not be coming back to Washington. The team officially released him today, making him a free agent and saving the WFT $14.9 million against the cap.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 5, 2021
Smith won the Comeback Player of the Year in 2020 after returning from a gruesome leg injury suffered in 2018. He started six games for Washington in 2020 (appeared in eight) and threw for 1,582 yards, six touchdowns and eight interceptions.
WFT is knee-deep in the quarterback market for the 2021 NFL draft with just Taylor Heinicke and Kyle Allen on the depth chart. Picking 19th overall, there’s a chance a prospect like Alabama’s Mac Jones or North Dakota State’s Trey Lance will be on the board, and both player represent significant upgrades (at least in talent) over the veterans currently rostered.
As for Smith, it’s anyone’s guess what his future holds. His days as an unquestioned starter are clearly over but he still offers value as an experienced backup and mentor to a young quarterback. A reunion in Jacksonville with his former college head coach, Urban Meyer, and a rookie No. 1 overall pick quarterback would be a perfect scenario for the final lap of his NFL career.
