NFL Notes: Alex Smith, Jordan Reed, Draft Notes

Alex Smith

Chiefs HC Andy Reid offered high praise for newly retired QB Alex Smith.

“He’s a heck of a person,” Reid said, via Nate Taylor. “He had a great career. Everywhere he went, he made them better. If he gets into coaching, I’ll get 1st dibs on him. He’s a guy you’d love to have on your staff. A special person and one of my all time favorites.”

• Matt Barrows reports Smith received interest from several teams, including the Jaguars. However, the 49ers were not included in the teams interested in Smith’s services.
• Smith made the decision to retire on a vacation with his family, and he wants to spend more time with his children. (Nicki Jhabvala)
• Smith also said that his comeback was initially him wanting to be a good husband and father, and he “got lucky” to be able to play again. (Jhabvala)
• The Jaguars had come up as a potential landing spot for Smith and he admitted that he visited Jacksonville before he made the decision to retire. (Field Yates)

Jordan Reed

Veteran TE Jordan Reed announced his retirement from the NFL on Tuesday. He later explained that his history with concussions played a big role in why he retired.

“I think at this point, what made the choice easy was the fact that I’m dealing with some stuff from concussions and stuff like that,” Reed said to USA TODAY Sports. “Before, I was able to ignore it and not think about it too much, but when I start dealing with stuff, that’s when it becomes realistic and makes me sit back and think about what I need to do and how I want to live my life after football.”

“I had to really seek professional help and sit down and talk with people … and it’s definitely the right decision right now.”

Reed specifically mentioned a hit he took against the Falcons as a time when he realized his career was in jeopardy.

“After that big hit versus Atlanta, I was dealing with blurry vision and things like that and (this winter), I was dealing with similar symptoms where I know something isn’t right and it wouldn’t be smart for me to go back out there and subject myself to further damage,” Reed said.

However, Reed still has no regrets for anything he did during his NFL career.

“As I look back over my career, I’m definitely grateful for my time and I appreciate everything I was able to accomplish in the NFL and I’ll cherish those memories forever,” Reed said. 

Draft Notes

• Pro Football Network’s Tony Pauline says several teams have taken Alabama C Landon Dickerson off their board in the first five rounds because of concerns over his injury history. 
• Pauline notes Dickerson tore his ACL as a freshman and again as a senior last season. In between, he had two seasons end early due to major ankle injuries.