Alex Smith does not sound certain he will play football again

Alex Smith is still working his way back from a devastating leg injury he suffered last season, and he is not expected to play at all in 2019. What happens beyond that remains uncertain, and Smith clearly is not taking anything for granted.

Smith opened up about his injury in an interview with FOX 5 DC’s Angie Goff, and he admitted he has a long way to go before he can think about playing football again. While he remains optimistic, he stopped short of saying with certainty that he will be back.

“That’s the plan. I’ve got to conquer some more steps before I get there — learn to run again, that was a big one,” Smith said. “But I’m already throwing. Throwing’s not a problem, but dropping, moving around, changing direction, all that kind of stuff.”

Smith said he is still working on “lifestyle steps” at the moment such as being able to play basketball with his kids and run around the yard. He then pointed to a device he has been wearing on his leg to help with the healing process.

“I’ve got this crazy contraption that nobody’s ever seen before on my leg that comes from, like, Siberia,” Smith added. “Believe it or not, it’s supposed to save my leg, save my bone, allow me to heal and walk again and hopefully play football again.”

Washington Redskins coach Jay Gruden recently provided a much more optimistic outlook on Smith’s injury, but the former No. 1 overall pick sounds like he is trying to be realistic. Smith recently turned 35 and knows there are no guarantees, especially after such a gruesome injury.