UNDATED (AP) — Washington has released veteran quarterback Alex Smith.
The move clears just under $15 million in salary cap space for Washington, which is hoping to figure out its long-term QB situation and fill many holes in the aftermath of a 7-9 season. Coach Ron Rivera said he met with Smith this week, each side figured it was best to move on, and the organization granted Smith’s request to be released. The AP Comeback Player of the Year hopes to continue playing next season at age 37.
Smith made a triumphant return to NFL action last season, two years after breaking two bones in his right leg and requiring 17 surgeries to repair it. His battle against a life-threatening infection and long rehab process to get back on the field became a documentary and an inspirational tale.
In other NFL news:
— Prosecutors say Broncos linebacker Von Miller won’t face criminal charges following an investigation by police in a Denver suburb. The district attorney’s office says it determined no charges would be filed after reviewing the findings of a criminal case submitted by police in Parker. It said prosecutors can’t meet the minimum American Bar Association standard for prosecuting someone. That includes believing the charges are supported by probable cause and that there is enough evidence to win a conviction. Police confirmed the investigation in January but didn’t say what they were looking into.
— The Buffalo Bills have signed veteran safety Micah Hyde to a two-year contract extension. The Bills announced the signing and a person with direct knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press it averages out to close to $9.6 million a year. The 30-year-old Hyde had one season remaining on a five-year contract he signed upon joining the Bills in free agency in 2017 and is now locked up through 2023. He is entering his ninth NFL season after spending his first four with the Green Bay Packers.
— The NFL has hired Maia Chaka as the first Black female official in league history. She will work games during the 2021 season. Chaka enters the NFL after working in the Pac-12 and Conference USA. She was selected in 2014 for the NFL’s Officiating Development Program, which identifies college officiating talent with the goal of showing them some of the same experiences as NFL officials before determining if they have the ability to succeed as an NFL official. The NFL did not specify which officiating position she will work.
— The NFL is taking steps to learn more about different ways to help players manage pain. Last month, the NFL and NFL Players Association asked researchers with experience conducting controlled, experimental studies related to pain management to submit information that may be useful in treating players. The joint pain management committee comprised of medical experts appointed by the league and the union wants to know about alternatives to opioids, including CBD and other cannabis-derivative products, that may help players recover from sports-specific and musculoskeletal injuries.
