Washington Football Team quarterbacks: Three scenarios for 2020

Alex Smith

We are still processing the Alex Smith story. Though there had been good reports on his progress over the past several months, I doubt many people inside or outside the franchise assumed he would really complete this comeback. The seriousness of his injury has been well-documented, and here in Washington, we have a particular sensitivity to this type of injury. A similar leg injury ended Joe Theismann’s career.

But Smith has repeatedly made clear his desire to keep playing, and Coach Rivera has repeatedly stated that if he is healthy, Alex Smith will get equal consideration for the quarterback job. The lack of preseason games will hinder the evaluation of Smith’s capabilities.

Players well into their 30’s do not have a great track record of returning to pre-injury levels. But at age 36, Peyton Manning threw for more than 4,600 yards and 37 touchdowns coming off a neck injury that many thought would seriously diminish, and possibly end, his career. And when he was 35, Carson Palmer returned from a second ACL tear to lead Arizona to the NFC Championship game, with almost identical numbers as Manning recorded in his comeback year.

In other words, it can happen. Just ask Mike Vrabel.

“Obviously, if Marcus is healthy, and he’s available, he’s our starter.”

That’s what the Tennessee coach said about his starting quarterback Marcus Mariota in March of 2019. By Week 6 — with Mariota still healthy and available, he was benched in favor of veteran Ryan Tannehill. Tennessee went on to the AFC championship game.

I do not mean to suggest the Haskins and Mariota situations are the exact same. Mariota had a longer track record and had been playing poorly for more than a season. But he was also a recent No. 2 overall draft pick who had taken the Titans to their first playoff success in many years. Coming into the 2018, Mariota was firmly entrenched as the Titans QB of both the present and future. Less the two years later, he was in Las Vegas.

Barring injury, Smith would not get a full season as a starter. A good season for him would statistically resemble Tannehill’s 2019 campaign. 2,500 yards and a TD:INT ratio approaching 3:1 would be reasonable. Since 2011, Smith has averaged a QB rating in the mid-90s and even with some rust, we should expect to see something in the 92-93 range.

That is, if he does in fact get the chance. Because even if Haskins is unable to hold the starting job due to injury or performance, Coaches Rivera, Turner, and Zampese might not turn to the veteran Smith. Depending on the circumstances, they may turn instead to…