Total Pro Sports
Former NFL quarterback Alex Smith has gone through a lot.
Smith made a miraculous comeback two years after suffering a spiral and compound fracture to his tibia and fibula in 2018. The injury turned out to be life-threatening as Smith was also diagnosed with sepsis.
He developed necrotizing fasciitis (flesh-eating bacteria) and required 17 surgeries over nine months. At one point, doctors considered amputation.
Despite the severity of the injury and the near-amputation, Smith recovered and even returned to play in the NFL in 2020, earning the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award.
This week, Alex Smith is trending once again after an old picture of his surgically repaired leg was reposted on social media.
Alex Smith’s leg 6 years after he shattered his tibia and fibula. pic.twitter.com/kScMSU9772
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) July 1, 2025
Smith played 14 seasons over 16 years in the NFL for the 49ers, Chiefs and Washington.
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers played 174 games, tossed 35,650 yards, and threw 199 touchdowns.
“Whoever cleared him to play on that should be sentenced to prison time,” one fan said.
Whoever cleared him to play on that should be sentenced to prison time.
— Juju (@Jujutalksball) July 1, 2025
“He played football and made the playoffs on that leg, by the way,” a second person stated.
He played football and made the playoffs on that leg by the way
— Josh Naylor Enthusiast (@jnaylEnthusiast) July 1, 2025
“Fasciotomies, skin grafts, medial gastrocnemius flap, and more,” a third fan added.
Fasciotomies, skin grafts, medial gastrocnemius flap, and more
— Chris Livingston MD FACS PA (@LivingstonMD) July 2, 2025
“Looks like the right is the one that broke. You can tell if you zoom in because the skin on that leg is a bit shiny,” a fourth fan stated of Alex Smith’s leg.
Looks like the right is the one that broke. You can tell if you zoom in because the skin on that leg is a bit shiny.
— Chris Ryan (@Beefisliberty) July 1, 2025
“He needs to keep that covered up, this is like women breastfeeding in public, smh,” one final fan commented.
He needs to keep that covered up, this is like women breastfeeding in public, smh
— SMH 🌱🪴 (@staysolovv) July 1, 2025
