Former Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith’s wife turned his leg brace into a cool trophy

Jan. 4—I’m not sure how many people would have guessed former Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith would enter the final game of the 2020 season with a chance of helping Washington win the NFC East division.

In August, Dwayne Haskins was poised to be the quarterback of the future for Washington, which seemed to have long odds to compete with the Eagles, Cowboys and Giants for the divisional title. Washington finished the 2019 season with a 3-13 record.

Oh, and no one knew if Smith would ever appear in a game again after having two bones in his right leg broken in a November 2018 game. After nearly losing part of the leg to a flesh-eating disease, Smith had a grueling rehabilitation.

But Smith not only returned, he took over the starting job in Week 10 and helped Washington to four wins in five games before a left calf injury forced him to the sideline. But Smith was active for Sunday’s game against the Eagles. With a win, Washington would make the playoffs by finishing the NFC East with a 7-9 record.

Hours before kick off, Smith’s wife, Elizabeth, shared an Instagram post that shows she turned her husband’s leg brace into an awesome football trophy:

In her Instagram post, Elizabeth Smith wrote: “Waiting for this game and I’m a nervous wreck. I look up at our bookshelves as a reminder of where we have been and the hard work to get to this moment. No matter the outcome, Alex has already won. He has beat the largest challenge life has thrown our way. I am incredibly proud and will be cheering loud. Let’s go Washington!

“Special thanks to @coldhardart for transforming a symbol of hard times to a trophy of triumph we can proudly put on our shelves.”

Many Chiefs fans were rooting for Smith and Washington on Sunday night.