Alex Smith took a huge step towards to returning to football. The Washington Football quarterback reported Monday to training camp and was placed on the physically unable to perform list. Washington head coach Ron Rivera reveled in the remarkable journey of Smith to this point, but needs to see more before the embattled QB passes the football portion of his team physical.
If and when he does, Smith will join Washington’s quarterback competition alongside Dwayne Haskins and Kyle Allen, Rivera told reporters Tuesday in a Zoom conference.
“If that happens, I think this is a guy that becomes part of our equation,” Rivera said per Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post. “That’s the truth of the matter.”
Last week, Smith was cleared by his doctors to return to football activities. But he still needs to completely pass the team’s physical.
Smith and linebacker Reuben Foster was placed on the PUP list Monday. Smith will be permitted to work on the side of practice in individual workouts while team doctors continue to evaluate his injury’s reaction and progress to the drills.
Alex Smith guided Washington to a 6-3 start and first place in the NFC East. But, his and the team’s momentum came to a screeching halt in a November 2018 game against the Houston Texans.
Smith suffered a compound and spiral fracture in his left leg, breaking his tibia and fibula in the process. A series of bacterial infections in the injured leg followed, leading to a total of 17 surgeries to repair his leg and combat the infections. He nearly lost his leg during the ordeal. Smith’s hardship was documented in ESPN’s E:60 documentary Project 11.
A total of 20 months have passed since Smith’s horrific injury. His determination to return to football has led him to now. He will need to clear the football portion of his physical before the start of the season or else he will have to sit out at least the first six weeks of the season before he could be activated to the active roster.
If at any point he does, he will have to overcome Haskins and Allen to get to the field.
Washington drafted Haskins last year in the first round in hopes of supplanting the injured Smith as the franchise quarterback. Haskins struggled as a rookie, but he did lead the team to its first two of three wins.
Haskins has been driven to improve and impress his head coach, Rivera, and coaching staff.
Washington acquired Allen in a trade with Carolina this offseason. Allen played two seasons under Rivera and Washington’s offensive coordinator Scott Turner while in Carolina.
But, Smith is the most-experienced and accomplished QB in the group. A three-time pro bowler and No. 1 overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft, Smith’s biggest accomplishment is getting himself back in position to return to what he loves doing after such a grueling ordeal.
All eyes will be on his progress during training camp. That progress could play a factor in who is the starting quarterback for the Washington Football Team in 2020.
