In the interview he did (before the superbowl?) ... sounded like some days he cant even plant and throw a ball.
hes had 17 surgeries including "limb salvage" surgery where they cut out the infected parts of his bone then graft it with other peoples donated bones and a metal.
$$$$ is the only reason he is trying to come back. Im sure he still does want to play but he has to know it seems like a 2% chance. If he retires, he may forfeit or even pay back some of that huge guaranteed money. I also read that the redskins insurance on him requires him to try and come back? Didnt fully understand it.
Im not mad about it. Skins gave him a ton of guaranted money, hes doing what any player would do. Plus he gets top notch PT and rehab. I do kinda roll my eyes when I read how courageous he is for trying to come back .. dude he has like 32.2 MILLION reasons to not retire. Courageous?
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/healt...4-limb-salvage
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap300...-leg-infection
Skins will cut him after 2020 when his dead cap isnt so bad.
edit - after reading my post I think I come across as being to dismissive of him with the "courageous" stuff. Yes it is courageous and took him a ton of hard work to just get to where he is today and he still has a long road ahead of him. I guess my point is, once his bones snapped and got infected .. he, like any one of us in that situation, have no choice but to be "courageous" and go through surgeries and rehab.
Options are die or follow your doctors advice. Every single one of us would also be just as courageous as Alex Smith if we had both our leg bones broken and sepsis/infection.
I feel bad for the guy, tip my hat to him.