Jay Gruden on Lessons From Alex Smith's 'Unbelievable Comeback' Season

Jacksonville Jaguars Offensive Coordinator Jay Gruden stopped, looked distractingly into the distance, and just simply stared back at a moment in time only he could see.

Just minutes earlier he’d been describing—aptly, mind you—the difficulty of creating, calling, and developing an offense when shuffling through three quarterback as the Jags have done through their 1-11 record, starting Gardner Minshew II, Jake Luton, and now Mike Glennon.

“Talking to one guy, speaking the same language, catering to their strengths. And when you’re changing week in and week out, it’s hard to get a gauge on what they like, what they’re comfortable with,” he’d said, calling back to his time as Head Coach for the Washington Football Team.

“It’s hard. I had three in five games last year in Washington, I had three or four the year before that in Washington. So, I’ve had about 10 quarterbacks I’ve dealt with in a small amount of time. And the consistency at that position is really important. It’s critical to have success, you have to have consistency in that position.”

Then he was given a name of one of those quarterbacks, causing him to become lost in unexplainable emotions before explaining what it’s like to lose one of those quarterbacks in an unfathomable situation.

“I would’ve bet my life that there was no way he would ever play again. And here he is, playing and beating the [at the time undefeated] Pittsburgh Steelers.”

The he in question is, of course, Alex Smith.

The Washington quarterback whose comeback story has been just as awe-inspiring as his near-defeat was frightening. Leading up to a Week 12 game against the Houston Texans, Washington was led by Smith and Gruden to a 6-3 record, leading the NFC East. During a play that many have come to know but few would willingly watch, Smith was sacked by Texans defenders JJ Watt and Kareem Jackson. Exactly 33 years to the day after Joe Theismann broke his leg in the same uniform, Smith was carted off to what would become an unthinkable journey.

After surgery to reset the leg and bones led to a septic infection that nearly killed the then 34-year old passer, Smith underwent 15 months of surgeries, rehab, and painstaking recovery. The fact he was even alive was something to celebrate. If he’d retired and never picked up a football again, it would have still been an accomplishment to come back from that injury.

But he went a step farther, returning for the 2020 NFL season, eventually being named Washington’s starter in Week 10 and leading his team to the 23-17 upset of the season over the Steelers on Monday.

Alex Smith comeback alert. #WashingtonFootball pic.twitter.com/QkPNkysbTW
— Jamie Gatlin (@JamieGatlin17) December 8, 2020

“I mean, it almost makes you choke up when you think about what he’s gone through to get to where he is,” Gruden reflected on Wednesday.

“It is the most unbelievable comeback story that I’ve heard of. And he’s such a great person, great guy, great leader.”

At the time of Smith’s injury, Washington was 6-3 with a two-game lead in the division. After Smith was lost, the team finished 7-9, winning only one more game the entire year. Gruden was relieved of his duties five games into the 2019 season.

It echoes Gruden's point about needing consistency at the quarterback position to find success. Without Smith, Gruden’s squad became a shell of what it had been. But beyond records and jobs and in-game statistics, there is a much more valuable lesson to be gleaned from Smith’s heroic journey back to the gridiron, one which can be shared with quarterbacks and players and anyone across the map that might find themselves struggling and questioning if it’s worth the work to overcome the obstacles.

Today Alex Smith turns 36.

This morning his wife, Elizabeth, shared a video of him training as he hopes to one day return to the NFL 🙌

(via @lizbsmith11) pic.twitter.com/SbuCYQYXxY
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) May 7, 2020

“That type of player, the leader of your football team, when he goes down and has the issues that he has, it hurts everybody. But to see him come back from what he’s gone through, is just an incredible feat. [I’m] so happy for him and his family, they’re such great people, that you can only smile and just—it’s just incredible, it’s unbelievable.”