Redskins QB Colt McCoy’s health in question, throwing status into doubt

The health of Colt McCoy wasn’t expected to be a problem anymore, once he was seen taking reps at Redskins training camp.

Colt McCoy, the lone returning member of the Washington Redskins quarterback room, had begun the offseason in the beginning stages of recovery, after breaking several bones in his leg against the Dallas Cowboys in 2018. The Redskins mulled over rushing McCoy back to the field, but it soon became apparent that such an option would not be feasible.

McCoy underwent several surgeries, three to be exact, on the road back to the field, and as training camp started, it appeared as if he was good to go. He took consistent starting reps, often trading off with Dwayne Haskins and Case Keenum situationally, and on the team’s first official depth chart, he was listed as the starter, presumably for his experience in the team’s offensive system.

Now, however, it appears as if the team may have rushed him back yet, even this late into the recovery process. After sitting out the first preseason game, McCoy looked especially “off” in the final week of training camp, per the reports of numerous beat writers, and per ESPN’s John Keim, Gruden himself acknowledged that McCoy was not one-hundred percent, and that it was unclear when he would be.

Subsequently, McCoy, the team’s most game-ready quarterback by in-system experience, is not game ready at all. He’s being held out of the team’s Week 2 preseason matchup, and there’s no specific timeline for his recovery thus far. It’s possible that by bringing him back this early, and by giving him practice reps on his injured leg, the Redskins may have inadvertently caused a setback. His health is in question. As far as how long it’ll stay that way, it seems as if no one has a concrete answer.

McCoy’s health is notable, as one of the two healthy starting quarterback options on the team, Dwayne Haskins and Case Keenum, may need to step up and take a role that wasn’t supposed to be thrust upon them. Neither has separated from the other yet; in the first preseason game, Haskins showed more upside, but also showed an expected need for polish. Perhaps the rookie could benefit from taking reps with the first team, but the team doesn’t exude the desire to put that kind of pressure on his shoulders just yet.

However the Redskins choose to deal with this McCoy health saga, it doesn’t bode well for McCoy himself. He could be back in two weeks, but if he isn’t, he could ultimately start the season on the PUP list, so that the team may free up another spot for a skill player with more availability. And if McCoy’s health issues persist further, then they may warrant a discussion on his long-term future with the organization.