Alex Smith returned this past Sunday night from his right calf strain to provide stability at quarterback the Washington Football Team was missing the last two weeks. His presence and decision-making led Washington to a division-clinching win over the Philadelphia Eagles.
The win sets up a wild-card round showdown in the playoffs against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Saturday night.
Smith is 5-1 as a starter this season. However, his lack of mobility is a alarming concern moving forward with Washington’s chances to advance. So much so, Washington head coach Ron Rivera revealed he will consider rotating Smith with backup Taylor Heinicke against the Buccaneers.
Smith overcame a career-threatening compound fracture in his right leg in 2018. The severity of the injury led to a series of bacterial infections the nearly cost him his leg and life. He endured 17 surgeries to save his life and repairing his leg to allow him to make an inspiring comeback of the ages this season.
However, his latest calf injury has lingered since Week 14 that cost him to miss two games prior to his return Sunday night. Smith’s lack of mobility was evident against the pressure of the Eagles in Week 17.
Washington will face an aggressive Buccaneers defense that can get after the quarterback. That could be problematic for Smith and Washington, opening the door for a chance for Heinicke to play Saturday.
Heinicke became the primary backup following the release of former first-round pick Dwayne Haskins. He replaced Haskins in the fourth quarter of Week 16’s loss to the Carolina Panthers. In that game Heinicke showed his ability to move outside of the pocket while getting the ball out.
Heinicke completed 12-of-19 passes for 137 yards and one touchdown late in the game. He has familiarity with Washington’s offense going back to his time with offensive coordinator Scott Turner and Rivera while playing with the Panthers in 2018. However, Heinicke has one start in his NFL career.
With that said, Rivera made it clear he was not saying Washington would indeed rotate the quarterbacks but the team would consider it. He also clarified “in-game circumstances” could dictate whether or not they’ll rotate Smith and Heinicke.
