30 NFL quarterbacks who got better after leaving their first team

10. Alex Smith

Words can’t even describe how devastating it was to watch Alex Smith suffer that brutal leg injury during the 2018 season. To make the situation even more difficult to deal with, early signs point to the No. 1 pick missing all of 2019 as well.

Back in 2005, the San Francisco 49ers took a little bit of heat for going with Smith as the top overall pick in the draft. As impressive as his play at Utah was, there were arguably better options for the team at quarterback, mainly Aaron Rodgers.

When taking into consideration that Smith’s first winning season didn’t come until 2011 after Jim Harbaugh came on board as head coach, it’s easy to understand why San Francisco took all that criticism over wasting a top overall pick when they did.

Even though the final two years in San Francisco consisted of Smith elevating his game to a new level, none of this compares to the next six years he spent as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs.

By helping the Chiefs earn trips to the playoffs in four of the next five seasons, on top of three Pro Bowl appearances, the 2013 trade that sent Smith to Kansas City after San Francisco decided to move forward with Colin Kaepernick was the best thing to happen to his football career.