After 16 seasons in the NFL, veteran quarterback Alex Smith is retiring.
You might remember Smith as the top overall selection of the 49ers in 2005…the year Aaron Rodgers slipped to the Packers at number-24.
You might remember Smith for his incredible comeback following a life-threatening leg injury in November of 2018.
What you may not remember – or know – is that no quarterback in NFL postseason history has a better touchdown to interception ratio than Smith. His 14-2 trumps Bart Starr, Patrick Mahomes and Rodgers.
What you may not know is that Smith is the only quarterback since the merger to win 40-plus games in the NFC and AFC.
Smith was drafted by a terrible team in 2005 and worked through seven different offensive coordinators in his first seven seasons in the league. An impossible situation that tarnished the effectiveness of the young signal-caller.
You may choose to remember Smith as the guy who the 49ers made a mistake with, or whom Patrick Mahomes replaced.
I’ll remember Smith as the most underappreciated member of the 2005 draft class. A player who battled through injuries and situations out of his control to be a three-time pro-bowl player over the course of 16 years.
It’s a career that should be celebrated…not questioned.