Alex Smith took another huge step towards his comeback by participating in 11-on-11 drills in the red zone during Saturday’s practice, according to John Keim of ESPN. The Washington Football Team were in shells today, so there was no contact. Still, it was Smith’s first full unit activity since his severe leg injury in November 2018.
Another Alex Smith update: he participated in 11-on-11 drills for the first time. However, there was no contact because the team is in shells. Smith handed the ball off twice and connected with McKissic for a short gain.
— Kyle Stackpole (@kylefstackpole) August 29, 2020
While there was no contact, the opportunity for Smith to work against a full unit with bodies flying moving around him full speed was a “very big step,” according to Washington head coach Ron Rivera.
“It was a very big step because, again, it’s back to football,” Rivera said per Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post. “Eleven-on-11, bodies around you a little bit more. Sure we were in shells today, but just the fact that he was doing something with 11 guys on the field at the same time, I think is a big in the direction that we all want to head…”
Rivera added they’ll see how Smith feels Sunday after the added participation in hopes his progression continues. Getting to this point in his comeback is amazing for Smith, considering he had 17 surgeries to repair and save his leg from amputation.
As Smith continues progress, all indications appear Dwayne Haskins is Washington’s starting quarterback Week 1. Rivera cautioned not to dig too deep in the rotation at quarterback, as the team wants to learn where Smith is in his recovery process.
