Ex-Washington QB Alex Smith reportedly attracting interest as analyst

Former Washington Football Team quarterback Alex Smith retired in April, one year after defying the odds with a return from a career-threatening leg injury. He played in the NFL for 16 years, with Washington the last stop after stints with the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs.

But Smith might not be out of the football world for long, even after hanging up his cleats.

According to the New York Post, Smith is thinking about a move into broadcasting, and four different networks are interested in adding Smith as an analyst. Smith has reportedly auditioned with CBS Sports and Fox, and he’s had meetings with ESPN and NFL Network.

“One person who saw Smith’s audition thought he had ‘No. 2 or 3 game analyst’ potential if he is into it,” according to Andrew Marchand of the Post.

CBS is potentially looking to plug the gap left by Rich Gannon, whom the network decided not to bring back as an analyst following the 2020 season. Marchand reported “the network does not feel as if it has to add someone,” though.

Fox has an opening in the network’s No. 5 slot. Analyst Chris Spielman once occupied that role before becoming a special assistant to the Detroit Lions’ chairman and president and CEO.

There’s another option for Smith, if he so chooses. Chiefs coach Andy Reid told the Kansas City Star shortly after Smith retired that the coach had already texted Smith a job offer.

“He’s just a heck of a person, had a great career, played so many years here with different teams and everywhere he went, he made them better,” Reid told the Star. “I texted him a while back [that] if he gets back into coaching, I get first dibs on him. I doubt he will, but if he decides to go that route, he would be a guy that you’d love to have on your staff.

“But he is really a special, special person” Reid said. “He’ll go down is one of my all-time favorites.”

According to Marchand, other ex-players being eyed to fill analyst roles include former quarterback Mark Sanchez, former wide receiver Joey Galloway and former linebacker Sean Lee.