When @Redskins QB Alex Smith broke his leg in 2018, no one thought it would take 17 surgeries to fix. Here’s a look at #Project11 pic.twitter.com/lwcj1l0fV6
— E60 (@E60) April 28, 2020
Alex Smith didn’t just almost lose his leg, he almost lost his life.
The former 49ers quarterback revealed the extent of the complications he suffered while receiving 17 surgeries on his right leg, which became infected and septic after what was originally thought to be an effective surgery on fractures to his tibia and fibula sustained during a 2018 game vs. the Texans.
Smith says he was unconscious for most of the time when his life was considered on the line, but did have discussions with doctors about amputating the leg. In a new ESPN documentary, Smith reveals what that salvaged leg now looks like, and it’s something else. This comes on the heels of a far more disturbing picture of the leg post-surgery that you can dig up at your own risk.
In the video, Smith shows how doctors had to use parts of his left thigh (both skin and muscle) to repair the area near his right shin. If a slightly deformed leg makes you squeamish, we do not recommend you watch the above video.
It’s unclear if Smith will ever be able to play football again. The former first overall pick was on his way to leading Washington to their first playoff birth since 2015 when he sustained the injury. The redskins have gone 4-18 since Smith was sidelined.
“There’s enough there that I can go out there and play,” Smith told ESPN. “Knowing that, yeah, failure is a possibility … I need to prove that I can come back and play quarterback in the NFL, and if I can do that, that would be great and it’ll get figured out.”