Alex Smith: 'I've got a lot of room for growth' after comeback season
Washington Football Team quarterback Alex Smith is striving for more following his 2020 comeback campaign.
Smith returned from a serious leg injury last season, winning Comeback Player of the Year honors for his efforts. It was reported earlier this week that the signal-caller wants to continue playing in 2021, and though he hasn't confirmed his plans for the future, he thinks he can impress further if he does decide to play another year.
"I'm excited, I'm excited to see what I can do this offseason. I feel like I've got a list of things - football-wise and just life - that I want to go do that I've been wondering about ever since I broke my leg and wondering if I'd ever do again," Smith said on "10 Questions with Kyle Brandt," according to NFL.com's Nick Shook. "I want to go chase those down this offseason."
He continued: "Obviously, I'll take some time here and sit down with my wife - she deserves obviously quite a bit of input in this - and then go from there. So no rush to make that decision here tomorrow, but just kind of want to get into this offseason.
"I still feel like I've got a lot of room for growth on the field, based off what happened this last year."
Smith went 5-1 as a starter last season, averaging 197.8 passing yards per game and 6.3 yards per pass attempt.
The 36-year-old dealt with injuries down the stretch, missing the club's wild-card loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but he was pleased with how his leg responded to a full season's workload.
"That, I think, was the most encouraging thing for me. I pounded on my leg every single day harder than I ever thought I would, and I felt like I got stronger and stronger and stronger, and the more I pushed it, the more my body responded - and my leg for that matter," he said. "I felt like, if anything, it only fueled me even more that I can roll and keep going."
Smith is set to earn $18.8 million in 2021 and has two years remaining on his contract. Whether he returns to Washington remains to be seen, as head coach Ron Rivera was noncommittal on Smith's status with the team earlier in February. Washington will save $13.6 million against the salary cap if it moves the passer this offseason.