Alex Smith suffered a compound fracture in the fibula and tibia of his right leg during a game in 2018. The injury was caused by a tackle from Houston’s Kareem Jackson and JJ Watt. After an initial surgery to repair the break, Smith was infected with flesh-eating bacteria that further complicated his recovery. The infection led to sepsis and 17 subsequent surgeries. Smiths leg turned black, and doctors had to remove the infection in his leg and cut out a large area of muscle and skin, exposing the entire length of his tibia from top to bottom. Smiths main concern was retaining the function of his leg so he could continue to play with his kids. He underwent a muscle transfer and microvascular surgery to further address the infection. Smith was not cleared by his medical team to return to the field until July 2020, about 20 months after the initial injury. Despite the daunting news, Smith made it back to the league in one of the more miraculous comeback stories in recent memory. He led the Washington Commanders to a playoff berth in 2020 and was named Comeback Player of the Year.