Alex Smith continues to progress in his quest to return playing football. A week through training camp, Smith “looked good,” according to JP Finlay of NBC Sports Washington.
Speaking with sources close to the Washington Football Team, Smith participated in four consecutive days of on-field workouts with trainers and performed well. Perhaps more importantly, Smith suffered no setbacks after the on-field work.
Smith reported to training camp last Monday after being cleared by his doctors to return to football activities. The Washington Football Team placed Smith on the physically-unable-to-perform list after he passed the team’s physical, but did not clear the football portion.
With his PUP list status, Smith has been permitted to on-field workouts with trainers and has looked good. More importantly, Finlay notes there has been “no setbacks” following the workouts.
When Alex Smith suffered a gruesome leg injury during a November 2018, many speculated his injuries would be career-threatening. Those presumptions increased mightily when it was revealed the ordeal the Washington Football Team quarterback endured as a result of the injury.
Smith broke his tibia and fibula when he sacked by Houston Texans’ Kareem Jackson and JJ Watt. He underwent 17 surgeries to repair his leg and combat a series of bacterial infections. Smith faced the real possibility of having his injured leg amputated.
Through it all, Smith committed to returning to doing what he love. The E60: Project 11 documentary illustrated Smith’s daunting journey to just regain the ability to walk on his own power, let alone run.
It’s remarkable that Smith is at this point, participating in on-field workouts with Washington. Anything after that makes his story more incredible. Yet, Smith still has quite a ways to go before he can clear the football portion of his physical.
If and when Smith does clear remains to be seen. One thing for sure, Washington is not going to clear Smith without giving him the opportunity to compete for playing time.
Head coach Ron Rivera previously said Smith will be “part of our equation” at quarterback. Right now, Washington’s QB competition is between 2019 first-round pick Dwayne Haskins and Kyle Allen, who played two seasons under Rivera in Carolina. The more proven Smith could enter the mix.
Smith’s reported progress laminates his chances of a miraculous return to the playing field is seriously a possibility.
