Alex Smith Makes Triumphant Return to the Football Field

When Alex Smith was activated for Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Rams as the backup quarterback for the Washington Football team, it was unknown if he would actually see the field.

But then starter Kyle Allen went down with an injury and low-and-behold, Smith took the field for the first time since a horrific injury in 2018 that nearly cost him his life.

Alex Smith has entered the game for Washington.

Incredible 🙏

(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/rBW13OLRY3
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) October 11, 2020

“Obviously, very surreal at first,” Smith told reporters after the game. “To have it happen as fast as it did was probably almost a blessing. ... It was kind of nice, in that sense, not having to think about it. Just go out there and do it.”

Smith tragically broke his leg on Nov. 18, 2018, fracturing his tibia and fibula in his right leg when Houston Texans star defensive lineman JJ Watt sacked him from behind and fell on his leg in an incredibly awkward manner.

Following 17 surgeries and a near amputation, Smith made the Washington's 53-man roster after an extensive rehab process.

“If Alex is healthy and continues to get healthy and we do activate him, he’s going to be in the throes of this competition,” Washington head coach Ron Rivera said. “It’s going to unfold very nicely as a football team for us because competition is only going to make you better. It’s going to push the young guys as well.”

When former starter Dwayne Haskins all but on his way out fo Washington, and Allen now hurt, it's expected that Smith will get the majority of the first-team reps this week in practice. And with those reps comes the expectation of him starting for the foreseeable future.

“It was great to be out there, the feeling, the range of emotions, the good and the bad,” Smith said. “It’s why I fought so hard to come back. Sometimes you can take it for granted. Certainly to be away from it for a couple years, I’ve missed it.”

What. A. Moment.

Perseverance, grit, mental toughness. Alex Smith has it all. Congratulations, QB! #ProUtes https://t.co/TV2eb2G4Ry
— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) October 11, 2020

In the end, Smith went just 9-for-17 for 37 yards, as Washington racked up just 108 yards of total offense in the second half. But a lot of that had to do with the torrential downpour Smith and his offense faced rather than his overall ability.

Standing ovation for Alex Smith from his family.

(via @WashingtonNFL) pic.twitter.com/WL4WQYApqU
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 11, 2020

Smith is potentially the greatest quarterback to play for the Utes, leading the team to a 2004 Fiesta Bowl victory over No. 19 Pittsburgh while being a Heisman trophy finalist as well. That Utah squad was known as the original "BCS Buster," finishing the season 12-0 and No. 4 in the AP rankings.

He then parlayed that success into a solid NFL career, playing with the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs before being traded to the Redskins in 2018 — which was followed by that fateful day in November when he was sacked by Watt.

“No NFL player has ever been through what Alex Smith has,” Andy Tennant, E60 executive producer, said in a news release. “He’s normally a very private person but he wanted to document his road to recovery as well and as detailed as possible, with the hope that future players could use it as a road map. The access that he and his family granted to E60 is incredible and viewers will see a story of strength, dedication and perseverance.”

In the end, the greatest sight wasn't watching Smith jog onto the field to take that snap. It was watching him get up off the wet grass after each of the six sacks. And most importantly, it was watching him walk off the field under his own power at the end of the game.

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Twitter — @UtahUtes_SI and Ryan Kostecka at @Ryan_Kostecka