The Washington Commanders have been under the spotlight over the past year for reasons other than football. Former quarterback Alex Smith, who played two seasons across three years with the franchise, recently spoke out on how all the outside noise impacts the players.

In a recent appearance on The Rich Eisen Show, Alex Smith was asked about what he advise incoming Washington Commanders QB Carson Wentz as he enters a franchise going through investigations and distractions unrelated to what goes on in the gridiron.

Via Pro Football Talk:

“It’s tough. I think you’ve got to try to eliminate the noise there. There’s a lot of noise,” Smith said on The Rich Eisen Show this week when asked what advice he would give new Commanders QB Carson Wentz. “There’s a lot of distractions — that entire organization, everything surrounding it — and, obviously, deservedly. It’s been flawed the last 20 years. There’s a lot of stuff going on there, a lot of distractions, and it makes it difficult to kind of focus in on the football.”

Carson Wentz comes with his own baggage, given that he's been recovering from injuries in recent years. He's gong from franchise quarterback in Philadelphia to sudden journeyman QB joining his third team in three years. An unnerving environment may not be the most conducive for him to find stability and regain his previous Pro Bowl form.

Smith goes on to admit that all the issues surrounding the team have largely affected Washington's play on the field. When you team is making the headlines for morally conflicting reasons, it's no surprise that morale takes a hit as you represent a franchise with a marred reputation.

“How could it not?” Smith asked. “All the stuff there with just the entire organization from ownership down, head coaching and G.M., there’s been historically a lot of drama there. It’s a big market, obviously, the capital and a lot going on, and that organization is a really storied franchise and there’s a lot of turmoil and a lot of distractions.

“So to say that the stuff going on in the building doesn’t infiltrate the locker room or out on the field would be crazy. That’s what happens everywhere. I think that’s what great organizations eliminate and the bad ones have a hard time with. All that noise creeps into the building. Yeah, it does. It does affect the product on the field,” Smith continued.

Alex Smith played in 18 games with Washington through two playing seasons. He was able to win Comeback Player of the Year after overcoming a potentially life-threatening injury and was one of the best recovery stories in recent memory. But even throughout his up and down journey in D.C., he still wasn't blind to what was going on behind the scenes and how it seeped into the on field product.

With a new quarterback in Carson Wentz and a new team name altogether, the Washington Commanders hope to forge a new identity in D.C. and leave their checkered past behind them.