“Such a Brutal Injury”: Fans Left in Disbelief at the Sight of Former Chiefs QB Alex Smith’s Shattered Leg 6 Years Later

Suresh Menon | 05/08/2024
“Such a Brutal Injury”: Fans Left in Disbelief at the Sight of Former Chiefs QB Alex Smith’s Shattered Leg 6 Years Later

After being traded to the then-Redskins in 2018, star quarterback Alex Smith had a solid start with a 6-4 record. However, his season ended all too abruptly when Smith suffered a devastating injury against the Texans, shattering his tibia and fibula. Despite the incident occurring 6 years ago, the effects still linger on, as recent pictures of his shattered leg have gone viral on social media, reminding fans of the dark side of the game.

The recently surfaced photo making the rounds on the internet shows the severe state of Smith’s right leg, with the damage from the shattered fibula and tibia clearly visible. Fans were understandably horrified by the visuals and first thanked the NFL Gods for blessing Smith with the ability to still walk.

The majority, meanwhile, expressed their awe at the fact the QB, despite the terrible condition of his leg, made a brief comeback before retiring for good.

Considering his miraculous comeback year in 2020, one fan even urged the NFL to rename the Comeback Player Of The Year Award by dedicating it to Alex Smith.

As seen from the visuals, his injury was so devastating that the fact he didn’t have to amputate his leg seems like a miracle. Hence, it’s natural to see the fans express their gratitude.

Revisiting Smith’s horrific injury

On November 18, 2018, the Houston Texans faced the Washington Commanders at FedEx Field. By the end of the third quarter, Smith’s team was trailing 17-7. In an attempt to even the score, the star quarterback dropped back to make a deep pass.

Unfortunately, his plan didn’t quite materialize, as Kareem Jackson was able to sack him. But it wasn’t just a normal sack, as the aftereffects of a routine defensive act were unimaginable. After Kareem brought Smith down, J.J. Watt, in a rush of adrenaline, couldn’t control his follow-through and ended up stomping the QB’s legs.

As you might have guessed, the result was a broken fibula and tibia. What followed the horrific injury was multiple screw insertions, infections, and surgeries.

Unfortunately, inflammation couldn’t be controlled and ended up killing the muscles and tissues around the leg, resulting in an unrecoverable fibula and tibia.

Despite all this, Smith made a brief comeback to the league and even started six games for the Commanders. As expected, the injury was too gruesome to allow the veteran to continue playing. However, he did end up clinching a 5-1 record and the CPOY nod.

Post Edited By: Samnur Reza
Alex Smith Kansas City Chiefs

About the author

Suresh Menon

Suresh Menon is an NFL writer at The SportsRush with over 700 articles to his name. Early in his childhood, Suresh grew up admiring the famed BBC of Juventus making the Italian club his favorite. His love for soccer however soon translated to American football when he came across a Super Bowl performance from his Favourite Bruno Mars. Tom Brady’s performance in the finals left an imprint on him and since then, he has been a die hard Brady fan. Thus his love for the sport combined with his flair for communication is the reason why he decided to pursue sports journalism at The SportsRush. Beyond football, in his free time, he is a podcast host and likes spending time solving the Rubik’s cube.

Don’t miss these