Alex Smith is active for Washington in latest step of incredible recovery

Alex Smith has taken the latest step in his incredible recovery from injury as an active player for Washington.

What once looked unthinkable has taken just under two years to become a reality. Former Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith has taken the next step in his long road of recovery by being listed as active for Week 5 for the Washington Football Team.

Washington is set to host the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday at 12:00 p.m. C.T. When the players take the field, Smith will be tasked with backing up Kyle Allen, an very real task for him in a very real football game that felt like an impossibility late in 2018. That’s when Smith first went down with a gruesome leg injury that could have easily injured his career.

Back in 2018, during Washington’s 10th game of the season, Smith went down with a spiral fracture of his leg that mirrored the career-ending injury of another Washington quarterback in Joe Theismann. Smith left the field on a cart and underwent numerous surgeries from that point forward to try to repair such a compound break.

In addition to the break itself, Smith experienced a number of setbacks due to infection—a process that could have cost him his life and, at the very least, threatened the use of his limb. However, Smith not only somehow beat any odds against him, but his incredible work ethic, determination, and talent have allowed him to return as a player for Washington again this season.

Head coach Ron Rivera recently announced that former first-round pick Dwayne Haskins has been benched in favor of Kyle Allen. With the move, Rivera also made Smith as QB2 in the process. Haskins is likely to get traded and, given Allen’s track record of mediocrity, it’s very possible that Smith earns a look himself soon enough.

Smith played five seasons for the Chiefs and averaged just over 10 wins per year in the process as a veteran quarterback who helped Andy Reid establish a new era of sustained success. He remains a fan favorite, even after being traded in 2018, and here’s hoping we see him succeed once again in Washington.