Alex Smith, a retired quarterback who returned to the field last season after suffering a terrible leg injury two years prior, has been appointed as an NFL commentator by ESPN.
Smith, who announced his retirement from the NFL in April after a 16-year career, will appear on ESPN shows such as SportsCenter, Monday Night Countdown, and Sunday NFL Countdown.
He’ll also be a part of ESPN’s coverage of Super Bowl LVI and the NFL Draft in 2022.
“I knew I was walking away from the playing field when I announced my retirement in April, but I was not walking away from the game,” Smith said in a statement.
“As my family and I embark on the next chapter of our lives, this chance with ESPN presents me with new teammates and a new challenge.”
This season, I’ll be contributing to ESPN’s coverage in a variety of ways, continuing my association with the game that I, and so many people, love.” Smith, 37, was voted the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year after returning from a compound leg fracture that nearly cost him his right leg last season.
Smith underwent 17 surgeries to save his right leg, which was nearly amputated due to an infection.
He also got drop foot as a result of having to wear an external fixator on his leg for eight months.
Project 11 was an episode of E60 that covered his adventure.
After he announced his resignation, a second installment of Project 11 aired.
Last season, he helped the Washington Football Club win the NFC East by appearing in eight games and starting six of them as the team went 5-1.
Smith was the NFL’s No. 1 wide receiver.
The San Francisco 49ers selected him as the No. 1 overall choice out of Utah in 2005, and he spent his first eight seasons with the organization.
He also spent five seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs before joining the Washington Redskins in 2018 for his last three seasons in the league.
In a statement, ESPN senior vice president of production Lee Fitting stated, “ESPN’s history with Alex extends back nearly 20 years, when he was achieving national acclaim leading Utah to an undefeated season and a top 5 ranking.”
“As he embarks on a new career, we will provide him with job flexibility so that he can get experience on a variety of shows and situations, enhancing our productions and benefiting viewers in a variety of ways.”
In the end, our shared goal is to position Alex for long-term success in this next phase.” Smith started 167 games in his career, and his teams went 99-67-1 in those games.
He threw for 35,650 yards, 199 touchdowns, and 109 interceptions during his career.
He was a three-time Pro Bowl selection.
