The news that Alex Smith is returning to the football field in Washington is one of the brighter subjects that’s happened for the franchise this offseason, but many have wondered what his potential return could mean for the team going forward. Mainly, what does it mean for Dwayne Haskins?
While those questions may be warranted, Smith did what he could to denounce them on Monday when talking to Washington’s Senior VP of Media and Content, Julie Donaldson.
“I think to twist that he and I, our career paths are somehow against each other, I think is definitely not the truth,” Smith said. “He has his path out in front of him to try and reach his potential, and he has a ton of it. He knows that. It’s about him, going out there every single day, and getting better.”
Knowing that Smith is willing to take on a mentorship role in Washington could be the biggest benefit to Haskins as well. So far his his career, Smith has helped groom both Colin Kaepernick and Patrick Mahomes while in San Francisco and Kansas City. Now, with Haskins at his side in Washington, there’s no reason why the young QB might benefit from that same help from Smith.
“For me, it’s helping in whatever way I can,” Smith said. “If it’s me sitting back there and putting my coaching hat on, so to speak, when he’s taking his reps, it’s like that. But when I get my reps, maybe it’s showing him a different style of how to do that.
“I learned a lot from quarterbacks I’ve played with, and it wasn’t necessarily what they told me,” Smith continued. “It’s watching them play where I learned the most. Watching them how they do things, how they manage their game. And sometimes, I feel like that can be the best teacher.”
Smith may not be physically ready to compete for the starting job in Washington just yet, but when he is, that will undoubtedly benefit Haskins as well. Ron Rivera has stated multiple times this offseason that he desires to bring as much competition to practice as possible this season, hoping that players would drive each other to be better. When the time comes for that, Smith will definitely be ready to push the group forward. Until then, though, he will fit whatever role is needed.
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