Patrick Mahomes says Alex Smith’s return to field is ‘amazing’

Patrick Mahomes called Alex Smith’s return to the field “amazing” in post-game comments.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has always been quick to credit Alex Smith for his efforts to mentor him during his first season in the NFL, and it’s clear the two share a special bond. On Sunday, after hearing about Smith’s ability to return to the field for the first time in nearly two years, Mahomes paid tribute to his former teammate with the Chiefs in post-game comments to reporters.

While Mahomes had a lot of other things on his mind following a shocking home loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, he did have a few positive things to say about Smith when asked.

Smith was not only active for the first time since November, 2018 on Sunday but he actually was inserted into the game for Washington when new starting quarterback Kyle Allen went down with an injury. Suddenly in a matter of hours and days, Smith went from QB3 waiting for a chance to test his leg to QB1 being thrown into the lion’s den known as Aaron Donald and the L.A. Rams defense.

Washington gave up a third round choice and cornerback Kendall Fuller in 2018 for the chance to call Smith their long-term answer at quarterback. Then-coach Jay Gruden was excited to finally stabilize the position and the team rewarded Smith for four postseason appearances in five years in Kansas City with a four-year extension worth up to $72 million.

Unfortunately for both sides, Smith went down in the 10th game of the season with a spiral fracture of his leg that led to him not only missing the rest of the season but undergoing numerous surgeries to repair the compound break. Smith even almost lost his leg due to infection, and it took him nearly full years to make his way back.

Smith is going to need significant help from Washington’s offense is he’s going to start going forward. He was sacked an incredible six times in a partial game, and he completed only 9 of 17 attempts for 37 total yards. Still given that few people ever believed he would actually play another down in the NFL, it truly is “amazing.”