AROUND THE SHIELD — Alex Smiths' time with the Washington Football Team has come to a close.

The NFL team based in the nation's capitol made official Friday the news that has been expected for several days, stating that the former University of Utah star and No. 1 overall draft pick has played his final snaps in a helmet adorned with the burgundy-and-gold W.

The move is expected to save around $15 million in salary-cap space as Washington, which finished 7-9 last season with an NFC East title and wild-card round loss, searches for a quarterback of the future.

"I had a chance to meet with Alex Smith this week, and we had a very honest and real discussion," Washington coach Ron Rivera said in a statement from the team. "We had the chance to reflect on the 2020 season and talk about moving forward into next year. After the conclusion of that meeting, we decided it would be best for both parties to move on and we will be granting Alex his request to be released.

"I want to thank Alex for his contributions this past year. He made such an impact on our young roster and his leadership was one of the key factors in our late-season success and in making the playoffs for the first time since 2015. Everyone here in Washington wishes Alex and his family the best going forward and appreciates all that he gave to our organization."

Smith, 36, was named AP Comeback Player of the Year following a season where he returned from a near-fatal leg injury that required 17 surgeries and two years' worth of rehabilitation where he often worked out in facilities designed for military veterans recovering from shrapnel wounds.

He returned to start eight of 11 games in which he played in 2020, completing 66% of his passes for 1,582 yards and six touchdowns with eight interceptions while rallying the team into the postseason for the first time in five years. Smith's numbers weren't great, and neither were those of the NFC East, as a whole.

But for a quarterback returning for a horrific injury that conjured memories of Joe Theismann, the fact that he was alive, walking and eventually able to play was a minor miracle. So much so that the Helix High (Calif.) product who was selected No. 1 in the 2005 NFL draft by the San Francisco 49ers received near unanimous support for Comeback Player of the Year, taking all but one vote.

The three-time Pro Bowler has said he wants to play until he's at least 37, even as an interview with GQ surfaced last week in which Smith revealed Washington wasn't always keen on Smith coming back from his injury.

So the question now is what's next?

As the Football Team searches for a quarterback to lead it further — potentially from a draft with high-end talent like Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields, Trey Lance and BYU's Zach Wilson, Smith finds himself looking for a team.

Mr. Smith departs Washington

Washington releases Comeback Player of the Year Alex Smith

Washington released AP Comeback Player of the Year Alex Smith on Friday, a move that was expected but still provides a cold ending to the veteran quarterback's storybook tenure with the organization.

Could he reunite with Urban Meyer, his former Utah coach in 2003-04 who recently was put in charge of Jacksonville?

The Jaguars own the No. 1 pick in the draft and are widely expected to take Clemson's Lawrence to build around as their long-term solution at quarterback. But Smith could offer the rising star a senior shoulder in the quarterback room and a mentor for the final days of his playing career.

"Who we pick at that quarterback spot, that's going to be one of the most important decisions I've made in my lifetime," Meyer said during his introductory press conference. "I like to use the term 'elite.' I see some elite quarterbacks out there right now."

Smith was once among the most elite quarterbacks coming out of college, a first-team All-American and Mountain West offensive player of the year who threw for 5,203 yards and 47 touchdowns with just eight interceptions while leading the Utes to a 21-1 record as a starter, including an undefeated season and win over Pitt in the 2005 Fiesta Bowl.

CBS Sports' Cody Benjamin says Smith will have plenty of suitors — he notes Miami, Cincinnati, New England, New Orleans, Houston, Indianapolis and Chicago among those potentially interested. But the chance to be reunited with Meyer should be a "no-brainer," he added — even with the high-end contract Smith may likely demand.

"New Jags coach Urban Meyer was Smith's head coach at Utah from 2003-2004, the QB's two seasons as a starter before going No. 1 overall to the 49ers in the 2005 NFL Draft," Benjamin wrote. "With consensus top QB prospect Trevor Lawrence likely bound for the starting job in Jacksonville, who better to implement Meyer's system and mentor the rookie than Smith? Jacksonville has money to blow, too."

The Jaguars are expected to have around $82 million in cap space, according to Over the Cap, which makes them the most flexible to spend on quality veteran backup to mentor the young Lawrence. Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke was also with the 49ers from 2005-12, including two years as general manager when Smith was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Bringing in Smith to guide the franchise while the Chiefs groomed a rising QB phenom in Patrick Mahomes worked out well enough for Kansas City.

"He wasn't there, but he was part of it — I think that's the biggest thing," Mahomes told ESPN after winning Super Bowl MVP honors in 2020. "He built the culture that I came into. He was the guy that led the team to all these successful seasons and built that winning culture."

Could Jacksonville follow the same rubric?

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