NFL Rumors: Washington to release QB Alex Smith
One of the teams with the most cap space coming into the 2021 NFL off-season is the Washington Football Team, and now they are likely to increase that cap space even more.
They are expected to release veteran QB Alex Smith in the coming days, which will save the team close to $15 million in cap space. Washington currently has the sixth-most cap space in the league and could easily jump into the top 3 teams with the highest cap space.
NFL Rumors: An expected move for 2020 NFL CPOY winner Alex Smith
Washington's release of Alex Smith should not come as a surprise, as he carried the heaviest cap hit coming into the 2021 NFL off-season. Some fans believed the team would keep Smith as a bridge QB to a younger player they would acquire, but he was simply too expensive.
Smith was traded to the then Washington Redskins by the Kansas City Chiefs. In his first eight games as the starting QB in 2018, Smith led the team to a 6-3 record, the best this team has seen in over a decade. Unfortunately, Smith suffered a gruesome injury that caused him to have multiple surgeries, including the possibility of his leg getting amputated and an outright inability to get back on the field.
Defying all odds, the 36-year-old QB fought hard and returned to the field in Week 5 of the 2020 NFL regular season. Smith was eventually named the starting QB in Week 10 after Kyle Allen was injured. He went on a 5-1 record as the starting QB, before suffering a calf strain on his right leg.
It remains unclear which teams would be interested in Smith, but he would certainly bring in great leadership, inspiration, and act as a good backup QB. He isn't a mobile QB, but the 2020 NFL Comeback Player of the Year has proven his grit and spirit over the years.
Could the Chiefs bring him back? Or does Smith desire a starting position? Rumors and news are sure to develop once his release is official.