Former Washington quarterback Alex Smith has a new gig. The former No. 1 overall pick, who retired this offseason, is joining ESPN as a studio analyst, per Andrew Marchand of The New York Post.
Smith had tryouts with multiple networks this offseason, including both FOX Sports and CBS. He was auditioning as a game analyst for those networks.
In his new ESPN role, Smith will appear on shows like “Monday Night Countdown.” If the arrangement suits both parties, it could open up more opportunities for Smith on ESPN’s variety of NFL shows.
Smith played 16 seasons in the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers, Kansas City Chiefs and Washington. He enjoyed his best success with the Chiefs before he was traded to Washington in Jan. 2018.
Smith had Washington in first place in the NFC East in Nov. 2018 when he would suffer a gruesome leg injury that would sideline him for all of 2019.
In one of the greatest comebacks in sports history, Smith returned to the field for Washington in 2020 and helped lead the Football Team to the playoffs. After the season, Smith won the NFL comeback player of the year.
Smith was released by Washington on March 5 and announced his retirement on April 19.
He is the second former Washington quarterback to join ESPN recently, following Robert Griffin III, who will primarily be a college analyst.