After One Of The Most Catastrophic On-Field NFL Injuries Ever, Alex Smith Is Clear To Resume Football Activities

Alex Smith didn’t play a single snap in the NFL last year. He spent the entire year recovering from this colossal leg injury that occurred in a game versus Houston:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvrBX87uzEA&feature=emb_title

And while lately some rumors have come out about how Smith’s injury may have been because of Jay Gruden’s side chick drama, one thing has remained clear: It would take a Herculean effort for Smith to get back. This is graphic so here’s advance warning but let’s remember what Alex Smith’s leg looked like during the injury and during the surgical process (skim past the dots if you’re squeamish):

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#Project11 ***WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT***
Rooting for Alex's Smith road to recovery. pic.twitter.com/lGdW2Hf7QV

— Awesemo (@Awesemo_Com) May 2, 2020

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The fact that he’s even able to stand is a miracle. But now it’s improved even more so as ESPN reports that Alex Smith has finally been cleared to resume football activities:

Washington quarterback Alex Smith, who suffered a devastating tibia and fibula fracture in 2018, has received clearance from his surgical team to return to full football activity.

The 36-year-old Smith, whose contract runs through 2022, acknowledged that this is just the first step, albeit a critical one, in the process of trying to return to football.

“For me, all eyes are on practice,” Smith said. “That’s the next step. I have to go prove to myself and certainly to everybody else that I can go practice.” Smith also touched on current issues the Washington franchise is facing, among them the team’s commitment to rebranding after dropping the “Redskins” nickname.

The ESPN story has many more details on his recovery, specifically about how the bone healed enough thanks to the rod in his leg to result in zero limitations on his activities.

I don’t know how you could feel anything but joy for Alex Smith. It’s entirely possible he never plays another down in the NFL or actually ends up on a roster again as a 36-year-old coming off a colossal injury. But his ability to keep pushing and get through the therapy and the pain and the mental struggle that comes with a mobile player losing use of his leg is nothing short of inspiring. We’re talking over a year and a half of work just to get to a place where a doctor will allow him to continue to work on the sport he’s played his entire life. That’s perseverance and dedication and a sheer force of will that many of us could only aspire to.

It’s a tough league and there are many other quarterbacks out there people may want to see get back on the field. But Alex Smith is right there with anyone in terms of the hopes that he gets one more shot at quality play on a football field. He’s going to have to earn it but I’m rooting for him to get that one last moment that makes all this sacrifice worth it. That’s a story that deserves to be told.