Alex Smith expected to start camp on PUP list, per report

Alex Smith may be returning to practice for the Washington Football Team, but he will begin training camp on the PUP list.

Coming into 2020 NFL training camp, Alex Smith wasn’t expected to make an impact for the Washington Football Team. The quarterback had been sidelined since suffering a brutal leg injury in the middle of the 2018 season. While he was in the midst of an incredible recovery from that military-grade break, it seemed like he’d need another year before making a full comeback.

That outlook changed a bit when Smith was cleared for full football activity by his surgical team. It was an astounding revelation and opened up some questions about how the team’s quarterback room may shake out with his return.

But now, it’s becoming increasingly clear that Washington is planning to ease Smith back into action. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Smith will start training camp on the PUP list to “preserve [Washington’s] options and let [Smith] ramp up.”

This is a sensible decision. There are still questions surrounding Smith’s ability to perform football activities, so the team is protecting themselves by keeping him on the PUP list. Also, a player can only be eligible for the PUP list if they start training camp on the list. So, keeping him on there gives the team extra options for how to handle Smith this season.

If Smith’s leg responds well to practice, Washington is going to have to figure out how to handle the quarterback position short-term. For most of the offseason, it was presumed that Dwayne Haskins and Kyle Allen would be the only two quarterbacks to make the Washington roster.

But if Smith is healthy, he would likely be included as the third. Washington can’t cut him without facing a massive cap penalty and his trade value is borderline non-existent because of his injury.

Regardless of whether Smith is healthy or not, Haskins is still the likely starter. Ron Rivera and Co. need to see what they have in the 2019 first-round pick. And starting Smith over Haskins doesn’t make a ton of sense given that Washington isn’t ready to compete this season.

So, Smith would probably make the team and challenge Allen for the backup job. But Smith’s inclusion on the roster would mean Washington would be able to carry one less player at a position of greater need, so that wouldn’t exactly be ideal.

Of course, this could all be rendered moot if Smith is slow to recover and remains on the PUP list. But it’s surely an interesting situation to monitor considering that few, if any, though Smith would have a chance to be active this year.

No matter what, Smith’s presence in the quarterback room will be a good thing. He’s a veteran who has had varying degrees of success during his career and will be able to help Haskins and Allen develop. He has also persevered through a life-altering injury to make it this far, and that, along with his leadership and experience, should endear him to coaches and teammates alike.

We’ll keep you updated on Alex Smith’s status right here at Riggo’s Rag. Stay tuned for all of the latest news about the Washington Football Team ahead of 2020 training camp.