Washington Football Team: Alex Smith returns to 11-on-11 to help ‘gauge his confidence’
Alex Smith returned to 11-on-11 for the Washington Football Team on Saturday.
On Saturday afternoon, Alex Smith continued to make progress in his improbable recovery from a broken tibia and fibula that nearly ended both his career and his life.
The Washington Football Team’s quarterback took the field for 11-on-11 work at Washington’s practice. It was the first time that he had set foot on the field in such a situation. He had played in 7-on-7s and 9-on-9s during training camp.
But getting on the field with a full complement of players surrounding him on both sides? That’s a big deal, as the team’s head coach Ron Rivera explained, per ESPN’s John Keim.
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"“It’s to gauge his confidence in himself,” Rivera said. “It’s an opportunity for us to gauge his total movements with 11 players on both sides, see how it goes. The hope is that in the next few days we can continue to progress with him.”"
Smith’s movement will be of particular note as the team looks to make a decision about him in the coming weeks. There is no doubt that he will be on the squad in 2020 — his cap hit along with his injury concern makes him unmovable and difficult to release — but his role is to be determined.
Right now, there are three potential options for Smith. The team can either keep him on the 53-man roster as a backup to Dwayne Haskins, they can keep him on as the third quarterback and let Kyle Allen be the backup, or they can stash him on IR for at least half of the season if they feel he isn’t ready to navigate the pocket, move fluidly, or absorb contact.
At this point, it’s difficult to know what Smith’s path might be, especially without a preseason. But it’s safe to assume that both Washington and Smith will exercise extreme caution when evaluating his potential return. There’s no reason to rush him back to action, especially since he isn’t likely to be the starter given the faith the team has shown in Dwayne Haskins during camp.
We’ll soon see what Washington can get out of Smith. With roster cuts looming, they’ll have to make a decision on his roster status and whether he warrants a spot on the 53-man unit or the IR. Perhaps Sunday’s practice will shed more light on their plans. As Rivera mentioned, they want to see how things progress with Smith.
Next. Breaking down Washington's wide receiver position battle. dark
But for now, things are moving in the right direction. Both sides seem to be taking it day by day.