Alex Smith is retiring from playing in the NFL after 16 seasons.
Smith announced his retirement in an emotional video that was posted on his wife Elizabeth’s Instagram account. The 36-year-old spoke about his unique career path and the devastating leg injury he suffered back in 2018. He said he is looking forward to spending more time with his family and seeing what other opportunities exist beyond the football field.
Smith was released by Washington last month, and reports at the time indicated he wanted to play in 2021. He may have simply changed his mind, or it’s possible he didn’t generate the type of interest on the free agent market that he had hoped.
Smith finished the 2020 season with 1,582 yards, six touchdowns and eight interceptions. A major adjustment period was expected given that he missed the entire 2019 season while recovering from his leg injury.
Smith broke his leg in November 2018. The injury was so severe that there were questions about whether he would ever play again.
For his career, Smith finishes with 35,650 passing yards, 199 touchdown passes and 100 interceptions. Smith was drafted No. 1 overall by the San Francisco 49ers in 2005. He had his most productive seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, making three Pro Bowls in five seasons under Andy Reid.
Photo: All-Pro Reels/Flickr via CC BY-SA 2.0
