Alex Smith joined ESPN in 2021 as an NFL analyst where he appeared on Monday Night Countdown on select weeks throughout the 2021 and 2022 NFL seasons. During the NFL playoffs of both seasons, the 16-year NFL veteran also contributed to Postseason NFL Countdown where he brought his vast football knowledge and expertise of the NFL to the pregame show.

In September 2023, ESPN announced that Smith would be joining the Sunday NFL Countdown crew as a regular analyst. With this new role, the three-time Pro Bowler will also continue to appear on select editions of Monday Night Countdown and Postseason NFL Countdown after the conclusion of the regular season.

Smith retired from the NFL in April of 2021, concluding a 16-year career which began as the No. 1 overall draft pick of the San Francisco 49ers in 2005. The California-native passed for more than 35,000 yards, threw nearly 200 touchdowns and appeared in more than 175 games, including five seasons with Kansas City (2013-17) and three with Washington (2018-20) following eight with the 49ers (2005-12).  He earned Pro Bowl honors in 2013, ’16 and ’17.

Smith gained respect from fans near and far as the NFL world collectively followed his comeback from a severely broken leg, sustained in the 2018 season. His story about the injury was documented in a special edition of ESPN’s E60, Project 11 in May 2020, including his battles with post-operative infection, how doctors and Smith’s family had to make life-changing decisions, and his intense recovery and rehabilitation.

Smith would complete his comeback in October of the 2020 season, as he returned to the playing field. Smith would go on to appear in eight games in 2020 and start six games earning a 5-1 record. His perseverance and success earned him the NFL Comeback Player of the Year honor.

Smith is a graduate of the University of Utah and was named Mountain West Conference Player of the Year and a Heisman Trophy finalist in 2004 and lead Utah to a victory in the 2005 Fiesta Bowl, finishing in the national top-five before declaring for the NFL draft.

Off the field, Smith is a dedicated husband, father and philanthropist as he founded The Alex Smith Foundation, which provides foster teens with the tools and resources needed to transition to successful adulthood.

Smith and his wife Elizabeth live in northern California with their three children.