Former Chief Alex Smith joins ESPN’s NFL team

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Alex Smith, the former #1 overall draft pick of the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback traded to make way for Patrick Mahomes, will be joining ESPN as an NFL analyst, according to a report from the New York Post’s Andrew Marchand.

In a move described as allowing Smith to “dip his toes” into television, he will be a part of ESPN’s programming that includes Monday night’s “NFL Countdown”.

Last season, Smith retired after a memorable campaign that saw him earn Comeback Player of the Year honors, as he played in eight games with the Washington Football Team, going 5-1 in his six starts.  He missed the entire 2019 season recovering from a broken leg that resulted in a life-threatening infection and led to a number of surgeries.

Following his career at the University of Utah, Smith spent eight up-and-down seasons with the rebuilding San Francisco 49ers, before the rise of Colin Kaepernick forced a trade to Kansas City.  At Arrowhead Stadium, Smith enjoyed his greatest career successes, making three Pro Bowls under coach Andy Reid.

Photo credit – Keith Allison / Wikimedia Commons / Landover, MD