Perhaps the best story of the unprecedented 2020 NFL season was the improbable return of Alex Smith. Not only did Smith shockingly return to the starting lineup for Washington, something nobody in their right mind saw coming, he also went 5-1 as a starter and led them to a playoff berth. He didn’t always look too mobile, and a calf injury to the same leg he had his devastating infections in cut his season short prematurely. But if you were expecting Smith to ride off into the sunset after his incredible triumph, you might be in for a surprise. In a recent interview with the Rachel Ray show, the quarterback certainly didn’t sound like someone dead-set on retiring.
“For me, this year was such a crazy rush to be out there, practicing out there every single day. To be able to put on my cleats and helmet. But for me, the crazy thing was how well my body responded to that. I just feel like I continued to get stronger and stronger and better and better,” the Washington signal-caller said. “I still feel like I’m kind of a kid right now headed into the offseason. I’m excited for this offseason to see what I can go do — football and everything else. Skiing, snowboarding — I plan on doing as much as I can. I had such an amazing time playing. I felt so good out there. It was crazy after that first game how comfortable I felt back out on the field.”
If Smith does want to keep playing he might have to do it with a new team, as Washington appears to be looking to upgrade at the position. They reportedly were aggressive in going after Matthew Stafford, offering their first-round pick and then some. Smith is under contract for two more seasons, but Washington can get out of it fairly easily this offseason. No matter what happens next, Smith has already shattered all expectations and can hold his head high.
Here’s more from around the league:
- If you were a Texans fan hoping that controversial exec Jack Easterby would quietly slink into the background after all the Deshaun Watson drama, you might be disappointed. “Easterby is still making calls to agents on behalf of the team and is very much involved in football side,” Lance Zierlein of NFL.com hears (Twitter link). As Zierlein points out, that would conflict with Houston’s stated spin that Easterby is merely a pastor and ‘character coach’ of sorts. He seems to be very much involved in football ops alongside new GM Nick Caserio. For whatever reasons, Easterby seems to be sitting pretty in his role and clearly has a great deal of influence with owner Cal McNair. We haven’t heard the last of him, and this saga has no end in sight.
- The Browns are coming off an incredibly successful season that saw them make it back to the playoffs for the first time in nearly 20 years, but there will still be changes coming in Cleveland. One of the biggest could be the departure of defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi. Ogunjobi will likely be allowed to hit free agency and the Browns “probably won’t want to pay him what he can get on the open market,” Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com writes. Ogunjobi has been a very solid player for Cleveland, starting at least 15 games each of the past three seasons, but with Sheldon Richardson still also manning the middle and fellow defensive tackle Andrew Billings set to return from COVID opt-out in 2021, Kay Cabot thinks he’s expendable.
- Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy has gotten a lot of attention for getting passed over for head coaching jobs, but Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians is similarly upset about the other offensive coordinator coaching in the Super Bowl. “I was very, very pissed that Byron [Leftwich] didn’t at least get an interview this year for the job that he’s done,” Arians said, via Jenna Laine of ESPN.com (Twitter link). “I get way too much credit and so does Tom Brady for the job that Byron has done.” Strong words from Arians in support of his OC, the former quarterback who spent 10 years as a player in the league from 2003-12. Leftwich got his coaching start as Arians’ quarterbacks coach with the Cardinals in 2017, and was then hired as his OC when he took the job in Tampa in 2019. If the Bucs have this kind of success again in 2021, Leftwich probably will start to get some serious head coaching buzz next cycle.
Exactly why Watson wants to leave. Cal McNair is a liar and has shown he will continue to do it regardless of how much damage he’ll do to the organization. Lied to the entire fan base about EasterBunny not being involved in football operations, but still is. The organization is a complete dumpster fire and I hope fellow Houstonians stay away from it. Don’t let these morons take your money when they very clearly don’t care about the fans!
Not fair. If you think they don’t care about the fans you don’t know the McNairs. They have strong Christian beliefs and as owners they have the opportunity to hire people they want to. I still don’t understand all of the vitriol towards Easterby. All prior reports pegged him as a man of high character. Not sure how that suddenly “changed” after coming to Houston.
Cal is lying to his fanbase and franchise player. Can you explain to me how lying is a “Christian belief” or indicative of a “man of high character”?
Easterby, by all reports (try googling your question, plenty of good articles explain his issues) is a cancer to the organization and root of its issues (again google can help here).
Plenty “strong Christians” and “[men] of high character” ended up being terrible humans. So sounds like you have a bad narrative, you don’t want to actually learn anything and somehow believe Christians deserve free passes in 2021. So cringey…
Dejota, strong unsupported statements you’re making. Cal isn’t “lying” to anyone – he’s a terrible communicator. Agreed. But you’re taking it too far. I’ve listened to radio talk show hosts, read sports columns. Everyone talks about “too much influence”, “back stabber”, “cancer” etc. But no one gives an example. The closest thing I can find is that he might have thought Dhop was bad for the “culture” and agreed with BOB to make the worst trade in Texans history. There have been lots of contributors to bad decision making. I think most of it was on BOB. I I understand the whole “where there’s smoke there’s fire” thinking but it seems like there is lots of smoke and not a lot of fire.
Gtb1, it seems you’re either related to either Easterby or the McNair’s or you overlook anything you read or head about them. There is a whole SI article addressing numerous people from multiple organizations that don’t trust Easterby whatsoever. Cal literally LIED when he said Easterby wouldn’t be involved in football ops. But it’s being reported that he is. Give me a break with the religious aspect of this. This is football. Not church.
My wife worked closely with Bob for a number of years and feels strongly that the McNairs were some of the nicest, most authentic and kind people that she had ever know. Bob hated losing. But there were more important things to him besides winning at any cost. Without the Mcnair‘s Houston may still be like San Antonio without a football team. Cal has his his issues but these are good people that you are trashing without knowing them. And yes. They are the owners. They can mix a little church with football if they want to and can find a winning balance. If you want it to be all football – put together a buyer’s group and make them an offer!
@JackEsterby (gtb1) Here’s the rub. Let’s assume you’re right and McNairs and super nice and super authentic. Bob still referred to his mostly black players as inmates. So for all his Christian values, authenticity and being generally pleasant he was racist and spiteful at his core. You mistakenly value his religion and general demeanor more than his words and actions. You’re hardly alone but in 2021 that’s cringey and objectively wrong.
Again, google your questions about Easterby it’s well documented what his issues are.
Bob didn’t have a racist bone in his body. I’m going to go way out on a limb and assume that you never once had the opportunity to spend a minute with Bob. If you had you would know better.
Bob hated losing. Do we know Cal does? Because his decisions since his dads passing have been abysmal and has turned what his dad built into literally the worst run organization in the NFL and the laughingstock of the league. You allowed Hopkins to get traded for peanuts. You are about to lose a top 5 QB at 25 years old. The greatest player to play for your team in Watt is ready to get out. The ONLY player in your ring of honor in Andre Johnson trashed the decisions that have been made. It’s great to be nice. But to be nice and ridiculously naive on what is going on within the organization and the people around it has the fans dumbfounded. Cal loves “yes men” around him. Even if it destroys the org. As a life long Houstonian, I respect Bob for bringing a team to Houston again. There’s nothing to respect about Cal. He didn’t bring the team here. He has done more harm to the Texans than anything. I don’t care if he’s the nicest person on this planet. Sorry if that upsets you as a McNair fan. Enough is enough!
Cal isn’t Bob. It is fair to be critical of Cal for his football decisions. I knew we were in trouble when he extended BOB. But it’s completely unfair to trash the Mcnair family.
Where was I trashing the McNair family other than Cal? When I said “morons” I was alluding to him and Easterby. I get you have a soft spot for them, but they own a sports franchise in one of the biggest cities in the US. They aren’t immune to criticism regardless of how they are as people. Stop being so soft on their behalf.
My apology. Rereading your posts you do focus your ire on Cal.
As a DC fan, I admire the A Smith story as the next person. But retire dude. You have the money, fame, and other ventures lined up. Save your life and/or leg and enjoy being a husband and father.
Easterby has to have some dirt on McNair or someone close to McNair.
Everybody can see he’s a cancer to the organization and instead of doing the smart thing and firing him theyre covering for him. Only way that happens is if you know something you shouldn’t to get job security like that.
There really has to be. I mean, Cal can’t be this stupid?
Easterby definitely seems like the type of person that would ask what’s wrong and be a shoulder to cry on – then threaten to go public with your concerns.
Richardson has been much better than Ogunjobi since coming to Cleveland, and especially so this year. The Browns certainly will let Ogunjobi go unless he for some reason takes a huge discount. They’ll likely take a defensive tackle in the draft with a non-premium pick to back up Richardson and groom for a starting role later.
Caserio is just the pastor’s puppet it seems. What a strange scenario.
On one front, good for Easterby rising through the ranks from the chaplain to Cal McNair’s #1 VP Court Jester! From what I understand, one of his roles with the team is to improve the culture; but will NEVER happen when you’re the biggest cancer in the building! He’s not a coach or GM; he’s a backstabbing “yes” man to Cal.
He is the main reason former player Andre Johnson has resigned is role with the team. Regardless of who the team gets in return for Deshaun Watson; because they will end up trading him, they will never compete for the Super Bowl as long as Easterby is involved with the team. I hope Caserio never turns his back to this scumbag, or else he will find himself with an entire compliment of the finest knive set in his back.
I hear “backstabbing” but have never heard any actual instances where that occurred. What has Easterby done exactly?
Google is your friend. What are you doing? Are you Jack Easterby? This would be a very Easterby thing to do…
I’ve tried. And no. Just a friend of the McNairs who knows them well.
If you know them so well, can you let Cal know that on behalf of the Texans fan base PLEASE SELL THE TEAM and start a mega-church like Osteen and pay Jack millions to be the pastor. That would be a better place for them all!
Make them an offer! They would listen.
I wasn’t fortunate enough, like Cal, to have a billionaire father that I could have the money to do so. Like they say, sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good.
No argument here!
Hi Jack, is it okay that I refer to you by your first name or would you prefer Name Dropper? That’s wonderful that your wife had the opportunity to become close to the McNair family. As it was mentioned in previous string, when you let everyone know how close your wife’s relationship was with the family, no one trashed Bob McNair or his wife.
Clearly, the trashing has been directed towards their son…Cal. Just by his actions (because he very rarely grants interviews or addresses the fan base) since Mr. McNair passes away doesn’t understand how to deal with the public or criticism. He has shown that he is NOTHING like his. If/when there were issues that occurred, Mr. McNair was not afraid to address it.
Cal is complacent to surround himself with “yes men” and accept less than successful results.
Jack, do you remember Brian Gaine? The former Texans GM that was hired and fired in less than a year. He was hired based on O’Brien and Easterby recommendation, partly due to his ties to New England. Then, there was a thought that Nick Caserio would come to Houston because there was a conversation at the Pats ring ceremony. How did that work out…Texans were threatened with tampering charges, so the backed off….without a GM.
While O’Brien was horrible, his old buddy Jack, helped him out the door regardless of having a hand to one of the deals in the preseason, trading D-Hop.
Maybe try looking up Andre Johnson’s comments about Easterby. Perhaps you’re too close to the situation because of your wife’s former job, and all that you’ve heard? Maybe you can pray for the team Jack. Good luck to you.
It’s too bad the XFL is on hiatus. Houston fans actually had a pro football team worth cheering for.
Sorry, but Brady certainly deserves every bit of credit he has received and then some.
Yes, the Bucs have an excellent offense, they also had Godwin and Evens for several years, same with a lot of core players on D.
There is no coincidence that Brady arrives and they not only make the playoffs for the first time in a decade and a half but roll on to the SB.
They were pretty good with Jameis too…minus the whole giving the ball back every other drive.
Their last quarterback threw for 5000 yards and 33 touchdowns. Brady is throwing to a host of All Pros and Pro Bowlers with a menacing defense. If he DIDN’T go to the playoffs, he should have been fired. Brady obviously is legendary, but no, I really don’t give him a huge amount of credit for his stats after signing with a superteam.
Unless they can get a different veteran QB, Washington would be dumb to not want Smith around. Averaged nearly 260 yards per start and has a 5-1 record.