Alex Smith Net Worth

What is Alex Smith's net worth, career earnings and salary?

Alex Smith is a retired American professional football player who has a net worth of $95 million. Alex Smith played in the NFL for the San Francisco 49ers, Kansas City Chiefs, and Washington Redskins. Notably, he helped lead the 49ers to an NFC Championship Game appearance in 2011, and guided the Chiefs to four playoff runs between 2013 and 2017. Later, with Washington, Smith suffered a life-threatening leg injury before making a huge comeback to help lead the team to a division title. Alex announced his retirement in April 2021 after 16 seasons in the NFL.

Contracts and Career Earnings

Between June 2017 and June 2018, Alex Smith earned $41 million from salary and endorsements. That made him one of the 20 highest paid athletes on the planet.

Through September 2018, Alex Smith had earned $106.5 million in NFL salary alone. That was enough to make him one of the 25 highest-earning players in NFL history.

During his 16-season NFL career, Alex earned a total of $210 million in NFL salary. As of this writing, that makes him one of the 10 highest-earning players in NFL history.

Early Life and High School

Alex Smith was born on May 7, 1984 in Bremerton, Washington, and was raised in La Mesa, California. He has a brother named Josh and two sisters named MacKenzie and Abbey. As a teen, he went to Helix High School, where he was a star player on the football team. Across his junior and senior years, Smith led the Helix Highlanders to a 25-1 record, which included two San Diego CIF section championships. Moreover, he set a school record with six touchdowns in a single game. Beyond football, Smith was president of his senior class.

Collegiate Career

For college, Smith went to the University of Utah. As a starter on the Utes football team, he posted a 21-1 record and led the team to wins at the 2003 Liberty Bowl and 2005 Fiesta Bowl. Smith graduated from Utah with a BA in economics.

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San Francisco 49ers

In the 2005 NFL Draft, Smith was chosen with the first overall pick by the San Francisco 49ers. He went on to have an injury-hampered rookie season, playing in just nine games and posting only one touchdown pass. Smith had a better second season, throwing three touchdowns in his first three games alone and leading the 49ers on a three-game winning streak in November. Later, in a "Thursday Night Football" game, Smith led the team to a major comeback against the Seattle Seahawks. Another upset came in the final game of the season when the 49ers took out the Denver Broncos. In 2007, Smith was beset by a right-shoulder injury that ended his season in December; he subsequently had to sit out the 2008 season due to complications from his surgery. Returning in 2009, Smith posted his first career 300-yard passing game in a Week 13 game against the Seahawks. Unfortunately, the 2010 season was plagued by poor performances and another shoulder injury, resulting in a 6-10 season record for the 49ers.

After spending time as a free agent, Smith signed a new one-year contract with the 49ers in 2011. He went on to lead the team to a 13-3 record for the season, a major improvement for all involved; further, he made his first career playoff appearance. In the NFC divisional round, the 49ers took out the New Orleans Saints. They later fell to the New York Giants in the Championship Game. Smith again became a free agent at season's end, but shortly after signed a three-year deal to remain with the 49ers. However, following a concussion, he lost his starting quarterback spot to Colin Kaepernick.

Kansas City Chiefs

Smith was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs in 2013. In his first season with the team, he achieved his first and only perfect passer rating and earned his first Pro Bowl selection. After a so-so 2014, Smith came back strong in 2015 to lead the Chiefs to the playoffs; ultimately, they fell to the New England Patriots in the divisional round. The 2016 season was more notable, as Smith recorded career highs of 3,502 passing yards and 328 completions en route to another playoff appearance. He bested the former total in 2017 with 4,042 passing yards, and also posted a career high of 26 touchdowns.

Washington Redskins

In early 2018, Smith was traded to the Washington Redskins. Over the first nine games of his first season with the team, he led Washington to a 6-3 record. Misfortune struck in November, however, when Smith suffered a severe right-leg injury in a game against the Houston Texans. After undergoing an initial surgery, he developed a life-threatening bacterial infection that required 17 subsequent surgeries. Doctors even warned Smith that they might need to amputate his leg if he wanted to survive.

Despite the severity of the injury and the dire warnings of doctors, Smith was intent on returning to football. He ultimately made his return in 2020 in a Week 5 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. Smith next played in Week 9 in a loss to the New York Giants. His first win since his injury came in Week 11 against the Cincinnati Bengals. A couple of weeks later, Washington upset the unbeaten Steelers. After missing a few games due to a bone bruise, Smith returned for the regular-season finale to help Washington triumph over the Philadelphia Eagles, clinching the division title in the process. At the end of the season, he was named the NFL Comeback Player of the Year. Smith was eventually released by Washington in early 2021.

Philanthropy

On the philanthropic side of things, Smith established his own foundation and scholarship program in 2007, both of which help foster teens receive a higher education. Additionally, he created his own clothing line collection called Just Live, which donates all of its proceeds to the rehabilitation facility Center for the Intrepid.

Personal Life

In 2009 Smith married former Oakland Raiders cheerleader, Elizabeth Barry. They have a daughter and two sons.