After spending seven years together with the San Francisco 49ers, Alex Smith and Vernon Davis are back together again with the Washington Redskins. Smith has been through a lot in the years since they last played together, though, and Davis believes those battle scars have helped the veteran quarterback reach “a totally different level than he’s ever played.”

Per Kareem Copeland of the Washington Post:

“You can tell by an individuals’ scars, right?” Davis explained. “Based on their scars, that’s how they’re able to be successful. That’s why they’re successful, based on the scars that they have.

“Alex has been through so much. So many ups and downs. So many scars. So many offensive coordinators. Being traded from San Francisco. A lot of scars. The reason he’s successful is not by accident. It’s supposed to be. It’s inevitable.”

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After his turbulent time in with the Niners, Smith then spent five successful seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs. He went 50-26 as a starter, got to the playoffs four times, and went to three Pro Bowls in those five years in KC.

But despite Smith’s impressive achievements, the Chiefs decided that in order to get over the hump in the postseason, they had to move on from him for a younger QB－just like what happened to him in San Francisco.

Davis clearly believes the 34-year-old Smith is still capable of playing at a very high level. After seeing how beneficial Smith's move from SF to KC proved to be, perhaps his move to DC could do something similar. If the veteran QB can deliver at the level Davis thinks he can reach this season, the Redskins could be in line for a return to the playoffs after a two-year absence.