Not all of it was due to choice. Upon suffering a compound fracture in his tibia and fibula, the Washington Redskins signal caller was rushed to the hospital, where he underwent surgery. Several complications and infections later, Alex Smith was wearing an external fixator on his right leg; a device designed to keep his leg held together after reconstruction.
Since it was first revealed that Smith’s injury was not only season-ending, but career-threatening, the quarterback has all but disappeared from the timeline. The Redskins drafted a first round quarterback with the intention of starting life after Alex Smith early, and they also traded for Case Keenum to add depth and security.