Alex Smith capped off an incredible comeback by winning the NFC East and being named the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year. As a starter, Smith led Washington to a 5-1 record, though it lost in the wild card round to the eventual champions, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Smith was not able to play in that game due to a calf injury.
Now Smith and Washington look to the future.
Smith finished the 2020 NFL season with a 66.7% completion rate, throwing for 1,582 yards, six touchdowns and eight interceptions.
He is signed with Washington through the 2022 season, but there is a potential out for Washington in his contract this offseason, though it would carry a cap hit of $24.4 million against a projected $175 million salary cap this year.
After the season, Smith said he would take a few weeks to think about his football future. Meanwhile, head coach Ron Rivera and Dan Snyder have met to discuss the team’s quarterback situation moving forward.
In an interview on “60 Minutes,” Smith said that this year had “only emboldened for me that I can play at this level,” which leads most to believe that Smith will be back in the NFL next season.
Washington recently resigned backup QB Taylor Heinicke, though that deal doesn’t really affect Smith.
John Keim of ESPN recently explored the future of Smith in Washington, noting that Washington could renegotiate Smith’s deal and have him come back, paying him less money on his deal in 2021 and more in the future, or the team could release him to save $13.6 million and sign another quarterback. If that were to happen, multiple NFL front office members have shown interest in signing Smith for a backup QB position.