As expected, the Washington Football Team has released Alex Smith. Even after Smith defied the odds in his comeback return, the WFT was unwilling to keep him and his sizable cap hit.
Smith’s return from a horrific 2018 leg injury was one of 2020 feel-good stories. Washington went 5-1 in his starts and managed to win the NFC East with Smith at the helm. Smith worked tirelessly to get back on the field, but Ron Rivera and the rest of the regime didn’t necessarily want him back.
“When I decided to come back, I definitely threw a wrench in the team’s plan,” Smith said recently. “They didn’t see it, didn’t want me there, didn’t want me to be a part of it, didn’t want me to be on the team, the roster, didn’t want to give me a chance.
“They tried to put me on PUP for two weeks, then they tried to IR me. I felt like I still hadn’t had my fair shake at that point. I wanted to see if I could play quarterback and play football, and I feel like I hadn’t been given that opportunity yet to find that out.”
By releasing Smith, Washington will save $14.7M this offseason. Meanwhile, they’ll carry $8.6M in dead money.
In the interest of equal time: Smith’s on-field performance didn’t quite justify his salary. In 2020, he threw for six touchdowns against eight interceptions with a 78.5 QB rating.
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