Alex Smith’s road back onto the NFL field won’t be short.
The Washington Redskins are planning for the quarterback to miss the entire 2019 season as he recovers from a broken leg, according to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport.
One storyline to follow for 2019: The #Redskins are planning as if they won’t have QB Alex Smith next season, sources say. They believe he’ll miss the entire season with his broken leg issues and are acting accordingly. If he’s ready, they will be pleasantly surprised.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 27, 2019
Smith broke both his tibia and fibula Nov. 18 during the Redskins’ Week 11 loss to the Houston Texans. The gruesome injury ended Smith’s season immediately and caused many to question whether he’d be able to resume his career at all.
Colt McCoy, Mark Sanchez and Josh Johnson played quarterback for the Redskins following Smith’s injury, but the team nosedived in the absence of their starting QB and endured a 1-6 end to the season.
The Redskins’ reported plans for Smith all but guarantee they’ll prioritize acquiring another quarterback this offseason. They signed Smith to a four-year, $94 million extension with $71 million guaranteed last offseason, so replacing him without suffering negative consequences elsewhere on their roster undoubtedly will be difficult.
