KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – Former Chiefs star quarterback Alex Smith is no stranger to pain.
Smith suffered a catastrophic injury to his right leg that nearly resulted in amputation seven years ago.
The former No. 1 overall pick rallied back to return to the field with Washington, earning the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year distinction for the 2020 season.
“Dealing with pain over a two-year process, it was hard,” Smith said. “It’s really hard.”
Now, Smith is partnering with Vertex Pharmaceuticals to ensure all patients have conversations with their doctors or care team about pain management options, including nonopioids.
“This happens for everybody,” Smith said. “Whether it’s planned, like a surgery, or obviously unplanned like my injury. It’s a part of life.”
It’s called the ‘Pain Game Plan‘ campaign, with the goal of empowering people to develop a personalized pain management strategy.
“It’s not binary,” Smith said. “It’s not on or off — there’s a lot of gray as you kind of return to life. We’re just trying to encourage everybody to really have these conversations, develop their own plan — what works for them.”
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