Alex Smith
Alex Smith is the second active quarterback to appear in this countdown, and while many consider him just a game manager, the evidence shows pretty clearly that once he had good coaching, he became one of the better starters in the league, and once of the best at protecting the ball.
Smith was the #1 overall pick in 2005, going to the 49ers, and while he started 7 games that year, he was actually not very good, throwing only 875 yards with 1 touchdown and 11 picks in those games. He started to show some promise the next year, becoming the first 49er quarterback ever to take every snap in a season, but a couple of shoulder injuries in 2007 and 2008 cost him a year and a half.
In 2011 things finally started to turn around for Smith. He was playing under his 6th offensive coordinator in 7 seasons, but he fit well in new coach Jim Harbaugh's system, and the 49ers finished 13-3 under his leadership. Smith led 5 game-winning drives that season, best in the league, and was great in the playoffs. He threw 3 touchdowns and ran for another in their first playoff game with no interceptions, then threw for 2 more in the NFC title game without a pick, but they fell to the Giants due to a couple of special teams turnovers.
Smith started off the 2012 season well, throwing for 13 touchdowns and only 5 interceptions in the first 9 games while leading the 49ers to a 6-2-1 record, but he suffered a concussion in the ninth game and was replaced by Colin Kaepernick, who held on to the job for the rest of the season. After the season he was traded to the Chiefs, where he was immediately installed as the starter.
His first season in Kansas City was his best to that point, with 23 touchdowns and only 7 picks on the season, and another trip to the playoffs, where Smith threw 378 yards with 4 touchdowns and no picks in a close loss to the Colts. It was his second trip to the playoffs, and the second time he had stepped up his game when it mattered, even though things didn't quite go his way.
He had several more solid seasons in Kansas City before his career year in 2017, when he was the best passer in the league, throwing for career highs of 4042 yards, and 26 touchdowns, giving up only 5 interceptions, and leading the league in QB rating. The season ended in a close playoff loss again, falling by a point to the Tennessee Titans, while Smith threw 2 touchdowns and no picks in the loss.
The Chiefs decided to move on from Smith after the season in order to install Pat Mahomes as the starter, so he was traded to the Redskins. He lacked the offensive weapons he was accustomed to in KC and struggled through half a season before suffering a devastating leg injury on the same date as the one Joe Theismann suffered 33 years earlier for the same team. He hopes to return next season, but the Redskins drafted a QB in the first round as an insurance policy.
Though Smith's career got off to a slow start, he eventually became a very good starter for several years until he finally became the best starter in the league. He has always played very well in the playoffs, but has lost by a total of 5 points in his three best playoff opportunities, and though he may not get to build on his career totals, he had done enough to be considered one of the best of all time.
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