Patrick Mahomes Says NFL Teams Would Be Wise To Scoop Up Alex Smith

Alex Smith preceded Patrick Mahomes as the quarterback of the Kansas City Chiefs, and Mahomes thinks Smith should get a chance somewhere in the league.

"I learned a lot from Alex," Mahomes said prior to Super Bowl LV, the second straight Super Bowl appearance for Mahomes.

Smith, 36, never reached the Super Bowl, but he was perhaps the NFL's most inspiring story this past season. He overcame a devastating leg injury to help the Washington Football Team win the NFC East and reach the playoffs. Washington gave the eventual champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers all they could handle in the first round of the playoffs, though Smith was injured and did not play.

You could make the argument that Smith's team fared better against the Buccaneers than Mahomes' team did. Still, Smith is a free agent, and Washington isn't expected to bring him back, as relayed by OutKick's Matt Loede.

Mahomes clearly believes Smith belongs somewhere in the NFL, especially after witnessing Smith's leadership skills for himself when the two were together in Kansas City.

“Just seeing how he went about every single day, the game plan, recognizing coverages,” Mahomes said. “He didn’t hold anything back from me. He taught me. That’s just the type of person he is.”

So Smith could be both a valuable backup and an emergency starter in the right situation. He proved that with Mahomes and again last season.