3 possible destinations for Alex Smith when letting go of Washington originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
After one of the most notable comebacks in sports history, a 5-1 win as Washington’s starting quarterback, and leading the football team to the first NFC East title in five seasons, it would be easy for Alex Smith to hang the cleats at a high level Note.
After Washington’s playoff loss to Tampa Bay, Smith said it was him will take a couple of weeks to decide his future. Based on several comments that Smith made and other reports As of last month, it sounds like the quarterback wants to keep playing soccer for the next season.
Smith’s story is incredible, but an injury towards the end of the season showed that his durability is a cause for concern. With a $ 24 million cap hit next season, it’s almost impossible to justify getting Smith back below his current salary.
When Washington head coach Ron Rivera was asked about Smith earlier this month, he made no commitment to bring the soon-to-be-37-year-old back. “We are still in a situation where we are all reviewing our options,” said Rivera.
Taylor Heinicke signed a two-year deal with Washington and there was one strong possibility Kyle Allen is back too With the team next season, Smith’s tenure in Washington could end pretty soon.
So if Smith is dying to play next season and it won’t be in Washington, where will it be? Here are three possible targets for the Veteran QB.
Jacksonville Jaguars
After playing 1-15 last season, the Jacksonville Jaguars hold # 1 overall selection in the 2021 NFL Draft. With this election, new head coach Urban Meyer will almost certainly take over Clemson star Trevor Lawrence, who is considered the best quarterback since Andrew Luck.
Lawrence will almost certainly start Week 1 as he has been considered “NFL Eligible” since his freshman year with Clemson. However, the rest of the depth map is uncertain.
The story goes on
The idea of adding a skilled signaler to the QB room seems pretty tempting, and there aren’t anyone who can do that role better than Smith. Just ask Patrick Mahomes How much Smith helped him when the two were teammates in Kansas City in 2017.
In addition to being able to mentor Lawrence, Smith would reunite with Meyer in Jacksonville. Meyer was Smith’s head coach at the University of Utah and played a key role in moving the quarterback from a midsize recruit to number 1 in the 2005 NFL Draft.
If he’s not back in Washington, Alex Smith’s going to Jacksonville just makes too much sense.
Miami Dolphins
Tua TagovailoaThe rookie season with the Dolphins in 2020 was a roller coaster ride.
Last year’s number 5 was behind the veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick for the first six games before taking over after Miami’s bye week. At first it was superb as Miami won each of Tagovailoa’s first three starts.
But for the final month of the season, Tua was reminding everyone that he was still a freshman. Fitzpatrick had to fall off the bench multiple times in December to replace Tagovailoa and claim Dolphins victories. And when Fitzpatrick missed the Dolphins’ final game due to COVID-19, Tagovailoa threw three interceptions in a blowout loss to Buffalo.
Fitzpatrick is now a free agent. In Miami, he probably won’t get a chance to start – something the veteran wants. If ‘FitzMagic’ doesn’t return to Miami, Smith could be the perfect veteran to take care of Tagovailoa.
Smith wouldn’t be the starter in South Beach either. But he proved in 2020 that he is more than capable of still playing at a quality level. If Tagovailoa struggles again next season, Smith would be the perfect option to temporarily replace him while taking care of the former Alabama star.
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Chicago Bears
Alex Smith’s best years of his career were current Bears head coach Matt Nagy, who served as the chief’s offensive coordinator in 2016 and 2017.
As Nagy begins his fourth season as Chief of the Bears, he’s under tremendous pressure to win now. Chicago’s outlook for the quarterback position – both now and in the future – is unclear, however.
If Smith becomes available it would make sense why Nagy would be interested in signing the veteran. As mentioned, the two worked together and had tremendous success with the Chiefs.
While Smith has his limits, he’s one of the best signalers when it comes to taking care of football. He makes good decisions and keeps his team in games. As we’ve seen in 2020 (and also for part of 2018), Smith can win games when paired with good defense and solid running game that both bears have.
What Chicago will ultimately do in the QB position remains unclear. You could draw a quarterback, but the top four to five passers-by in the class will likely be gone by the time they pick at 20. Chicago could try re-signing Mitchell Trubisky or chasing after another quarterback in the free agency. The bears are said to be in the Carson Wentz market, but nothing yet.
Signing Smith wouldn’t be Chicago’s answer to the quarterback position. But if Nagy feels he has to go all-in to win in 2021 and needs a QB he can trust, it would make sense if he inquired about his old quarterback if he should be available.
