Ron Rivera releases statement thanking Alex Smith after release

The news became official on Friday morning that the Washington Football Team was parting ways with veteran quarterback Alex Smith. This news broke earlier in the week, but head coach Ron Rivera’s statement on the matter all but sealed the deal.

In the statement, Rivera said that he and Smith met earlier this week and had an honest discussion about their futures, which concluded with the decision that they would be parting ahead of the 2021 season.

“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,” Rivera wrote. “Everyone here in Washington wishes Alex and his family the best going forward and appreciate all that he gave to our organization.”

The road from here for both parties is unclear. Smith will look to sign with a new team where he can hopefully play, or provide veteran leadership to a young QB. As for Washington, they have both Taylor Heinicke and Kyle Allen on the roster, but the belief is that they will continue their search for a franchise guy through free agency, the draft, or via a trade.

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