Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Alex Smith enters game for Washington Football Team in emotional return

By Erin Walsh | Last updated 10/11/20

Talk about an emotional moment for Washington Football Team quarterback Alex Smith.

The veteran quarterback made his return to the football field during the second quarter of Sunday's Week 5 matchup between Washington and the Los Angeles Rams after suffering what could have been a career-ending injury in 2018.

Smith entered the game with two minutes remaining in the second quarter after Kyle Allen suffered an injury. As his family gave him a standing ovation, he completed his first pass since Nov. 18, 2018 for six yards.

Alex Smith completes his first pass with his family in attendance. #WashingtonFootball

: #LARvsWAS on FOX
: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app: https://t.co/BGCKhfX8uY pic.twitter.com/CevNBQXQTS
— NFL (@NFL) October 11, 2020

Alex Smith’s family giving him a standing ovation as he takes the field for the first time is nearly two years is everything pic.twitter.com/HYecOJBloN
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) October 11, 2020

The 36-year-old was active for Sunday's game as Allen's backup after head coach Ron Rivera opted to bench Dwayne Haskins.

Smith broke his leg in 2018 after being sacked by J.J. Watt and another Houston Texans player. Watt converged with cornerback Kareem Jackson as they tackled the Washington QB.

The impact from the tackle fractured multiple bones in Smith's leg, and his recovery process was horrific. He suffered from sepsis, which nearly killed him; spent a month in the hospital; three months in a wheel chair; and eight months in an external fixator. He had 17 surgeries in nine months.

More must-reads: