Career Salary Game: Alex Smith

Alex Smith has retired rather than sign to be a backup somewhere, so what did the former No. 1 overall pick make during his NFL career?

Alex Smith’s NFL career started off on an interesting foot, when the San Francisco 49ers took him No. 1 overall in the 2005 NFL Draft instead of Aaron Rodgers. He was forever the guy who seemed replaceable, through coaching changes and a little ill-timed luck, capped by a remarkable comeback story after a devastating leg injury in 2018.

Smith was released by Washington this offseason, and he surely could have found an opportunity to be a backup somewhere. The Jacksonville Jaguars, coached by his former college coach Urban Meyer, was particularly ideal. But rather than hold a proverbial clipboard, Smith wanted a chance to start he was not going to get at this point.

Almost exactly a year ago, as Smith was progressing toward being able to play again, I questioned the wisdom of the effort. There were huge questions about Smith’s injured leg. He surely didn’t need the money, as a former first overall pick before the 2011 CBA reduced draft pick salaries and a couple nice contracts that followed.

So how much did Smith make during his career?

According to Spotrac, Smith took home $189.725 million over 16 NFL seasons. He went 99-67-1 as a starter in the regular season, which shouldn’t be overlooked regardless of the subjective value of “quarterback wins” as a viable stat.