Alex Smith’s Amazing Comeback(?)

I think Alex Smith is smart enough to not try and play again. NFL is no joke.

The injury almost killed him. Would a doctor even sign off on him playing again?

Important to understand though that the condition that almost killed him was sepsis - which is what happens when an infection gets into your bloodstream and spreads all throughout the body.

Once the infection is eradicated with antibiotics, there are no lingering effects from the infection. The body returns to full health. The doctor won't have a problem with his returning because of the infection, the infection and the sepsis isn't the problem. The problem is whether the leg can bounce back given all the tissue that had to be removed.

And on that point all we can do is wait and see, and let the doctors evaluate how well he's moving around this summer leading into camp. If he's moving around well and passing physical exams, then there's no reason he can't play again. All signs point to him making pretty good physical progress, I wouldn't rule it out at all.

Not if he retires. He would most likely have to actually pay the Skins back some money.

According to the CBA, “any player who willfully fails to report, practice or play” due to poor conduct, incarceration, or voluntary retirement “may be required to forfeit signing bonus, roster bonus, option bonus and/or reporting bonus.”

Barry Sanders, Calvin Johnson, Borland ... they not only forfeited future guaranteed money but had to pay back prior already paid signing bonus money.

If Alex retires I don't see how you could call it "voluntary" after he almost lost his leg and worse yet his life.

Important to understand though that the condition that almost killed him was sepsis - which is what happens when an infection gets into your bloodstream and spreads all throughout the body.

Once the infection is eradicated with antibiotics, there are no lingering effects from the infection. The body returns to full health. The doctor won't have a problem with his returning because of the infection, the infection and the sepsis isn't the problem. The problem is whether the leg can bounce back given all the tissue that had to be removed.

And on that point all we can do is wait and see, and let the doctors evaluate how well he's moving around this summer leading into camp. If he's moving around well and passing physical exams, then there's no reason he can't play again. All signs point to him making pretty good physical progress, I wouldn't rule it out at all.

Oh I know about the sepsis, almost killed my Dad too. Smith was also faced with the decision of amputation or saving the limb. Thankfully it worked out for him.

I'd root for him, but really wouldn't want to see the guy complicate his life after football just because he wants to play again. Ridiculous contract is right and its a shame from every side that it worked out this way. W/ever happens happens but I doubt we see him on the field again.

If Alex retires I don't see how you could call it "voluntary" after he almost lost his leg and worse yet his life.

Andrew Luck, Luke Keuchly ... they retired due to injury concerns and gave up any future salary and bonus money as well as the teams "could if they want to" seek repayment of any prior signign bonus on a pro-rata basis of years left on his contract.

Ive beat this drum enough and wont keep repeating myself ...

Alex Smith wont retire bc he would be giving up all future money and the Skins could go after any prior paid signing bonus money on a pro-rata basis based on the years remaining on his contract.

Alex Smith is doing what he has to do. Hes making sure he gets his money and hes making sure he takes rehab very seriously so he can walk when he is 60.

Skins are doing the only thing they can do. They cant cut him bc of all the dead money so there only option is to support him.

Alex Smith has no other option then doing what he is doing.

Skins have no other option except doing what they are doing.

Perfect world - they negotiate an injury buy out. This wont happen but it is the only other alternative I see. But that might void the insurance policy they took out on Smith. Thats were it gets complicated.

I’d love to see Alex play again. He won’t though. This is all about money. He may be on the roster. He may even practice some with the team as a 3rd stringer. However, you won’t see him dress out on a single game day. Best case scenario is that he’s there to help mold the young QBs into being smarter. That’s all.

I'm sure this is mostly about Smith just being competitive and doing the best he can to recover and rehab with full and free access to an NFL teams facilities and staff. He likely knows he will never play again, but the more he does now to rehab to potentially help him return to football will only help him have as close to normal use of his leg for non-football activities for the rest of his life.

Additionally, he has to at least try to make it back and not be cleared in order for the skins to get the salary cap credit from an insurance policy the skins took out on him before signing the deal. If i recall, the policy pays around 12M (which can be credited to the cap) if Smith suffers a career-ending injury. That insurance company surely would find a way not to pay the claim if it appeared that Smith and the team didn't do everything in their power try to get him back to playing football.

We should all root for him as a human being, but it is almost certain that he will never play professional football again.

Ultimately though, whether he will actually succeed in playing football again is irrelevant for our personnel department this year. They’re stuck with his big cap number. As long as he’s trying to come back, we owe that money, and if we owe that money we might as well keep an open mind and see what he can do.

Hope for the best and prepare for the worst. We have to acquire another QB to be Haskins’s backup, either through FA or draft. And if it turns out Alex can actually play, great. But we have to plan as if he can’t and we’re stuck paying a shit ton for another PUP season.

Not if he retires. He would most likely have to actually pay the Skins back some money.

According to the CBA, “any player who willfully fails to report, practice or play” due to poor conduct, incarceration, or voluntary retirement “may be required to forfeit signing bonus, roster bonus, option bonus and/or reporting bonus.”

Barry Sanders, Calvin Johnson, Borland ... they not only forfeited future guaranteed money but had to pay back prior already paid signing bonus money.

Those guys all retired not due to injury but concern for future injuries, so Alex Smith's situation is different. He has already made $202 million -- this is not at all about the money. (Parenthetically, he lives in my town and is building a house here; I'm sure it is already paid for.)