“Alex Smith hands off” by Victor Araiza (CC BY-NC 2.0)
When the Washington Redskins finally resolved the Kirk Cousins quarterback situation, it was surprising to some, that it ended up with Alex Smith being the starting quarterback of the team. And while it is definitely a positive that the game of chicken between Cousins and the organization is finally over, it remains to be seen wether or not Smith can be the solution for the Redskins.
First Stop
Alex Smith has had an interesting career arc. He started as a number one overall pick with the San Francisco 49ers and at first didn’t look like he was up to the pick. As he matured, he bounced back, and became a very able, and competent quarterback with a Niners defense there to support him.
Second Stop
He was ultimately supplanted by Colin Kaepernick in San Francisco, and Smith then landed in Kansas City. There, his relationship with Andy Reid helped turn him into the Pro Bowl-caliber quarterback that the Niners drafted.
Still, despite winning games and making the Pro Bowl, how “good” Alex Smith still seems to be debated. He has thrown for 4,000 yards only once in his career, in an NFL where quarterbacks regularly throw for that kind of yardage. Smith says that he would prefer to stack up wins over stats , which detractors like to say is somehow shirking accountability.