Photos of Alex Smith's leg after injury surface on social media

SI's Robin Lundberg shares thoughts on Alex Smith's goal to return to the NFL.

Football is a brutal sport. And while we all love it, that doesn’t make my initial statement less true. Even for the most protected position, quarterback. A new documentary on Washington QB Alex Smith shows how much so as a photo displays the gruesome nature of the leg injury he suffered in a game against the Texans in 2018. He hasn’t played since but has been working diligently on his recovery, is out of a stabilization cast and still wants to return to the NFL. It’s tough not to admire his perseverance and tougher still not to root for him. Professional football is a tough business.