When this offseason started it looked pretty set in stone that Alex Smith would ride out the year on the PUP list and then be quietly released next year. Most people had written him off as even a backup option in the NFL, but Alex Smith isn't most people. He was intent on proving that he could still play after breaking his fibula and tibia 2 years ago. Smith had to have 17 surgeries in total to fix his leg, and to deal with the life-threatening infections that followed.
Alex Smith was able to make the roster as the team's third QB.