Looking Back at Alex Smith’s Incredible Comeback Story & NFL Career

ALEX SMITH HAD THE GREATEST COMEBACK STORY OF THE 21ST CENTURY

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Alex Smith spent five seasons in KC, leading the Chiefs to four postseason appearances while earning three Pro Bowl nods. Then, in 2017, Kansas City drafted Patrick Mahomes 10th overall, allowing him to sit a year behind Smith before trading the veteran QB to Washington in 2018.

In his first season in Washington, Smith led the team to a 6-3 record before suffering a gruesome compound fracture in his right leg vs. Houston. The injury nearly cost him his life and leg, requiring 17 surgeries after the wound became infected. It took nearly two years of rehab and recovery before Smith made his improbable return to the football field in Week 5 after starter Kyle Allen went down. 

Smith started six games in 2020, leading the team to a 5-1 record and helping the franchise capture the NFC East title at 7-9. However, he missed three of Washington’s final four games due to a bone bruise, including the team’s wild-card loss to Tampa Bay. Smith’s incredible return to the gridiron was one of, if not the greatest returns in sports history, leading him to earn the 2020 Comeback Player of the Year. 

During the 2010’s, Smith won wherever he went, accumulating a 99-67-1 career record as a starter with the 49ers, Chiefs, and Washington while leading all three to the postseason a combined six times. He finished his career with a 62.6 CMP%, 35,650 PASS YDS, 199 TDs, 109 INTs, and an 86.9 QB RTG. His ability to win games throughout his career and then overcome so much adversity is why his legacy is cemented as one of the greatest comeback stories in sports.