According to a report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Washington Football Team is expected to release veteran quarterback Alex Smith, and the soon-to-be 37-year-old quarterback reportedly isn’t ready to hang up his cleats. After battling back from a gruesome compound fracture in 2018 that resulted in sepsis which nearly cost him his leg, he returned to the playing field in 2020 after a lengthy rehabilitation process.
Smith started in six games this season, throwing for 1,582 yards, six touchdowns and eight interceptions. Now, he’s set to become a free agent for the first time in his career after previously being traded twice. Like several others, former NFL player and current analyst Bucky Brooks thinks the Jaguars could be a natural landing spot for Smith.
If Alex Smith is released, the @Jaguars would be the perfect landing spot for the veteran. He has a previous relationship with the HC and GM, and he’s a great mentor to young QBs. This would be a best-case scenario for Smith and the team. #DUUUVAL #jaguars https://t.co/PpGZ0ne9ec
— Bucky Brooks (@BuckyBrooks) March 1, 2021
If Smith came to Jacksonville, he would reunite with his college head coach in Urban Meyer. Smith played under Meyer at Utah, where he excelled in the then-novel spread offense. He led the Utes to an undefeated season and Fiesta Bowl win in 2004 before Meyer was hired at Florida, becoming a First Team All-American in the process.
As Brooks mentioned, Smith also has a relationship with new Jacksonville General Manager Trent Baalke, who worked for San Francisco in various roles during the entirety of his eight-year tenure playing for the 49ers.
If Jacksonville picked up Smith, he would likely serve as a backup to Trevor Lawrence, who the Jags will almost certainly take with the first overall pick and should start Day 1, assuming his recovery from shoulder surgery goes as planned.
The one hang-up here is the quarterback already on the roster: Gardner Minshew. After captivating the national media in 2019, his production fell off in 2020. And though he’d be a quality backup, if Jacksonville can get decent trade value for him, dealing Minshew to a team in need and signing Smith for cheap could be a reasonable option.