LANDOVER, MD – NOVEMBER 18: Washington Redskins quarterback Alex Smith (11) is carted off the field in the 3rd quarter after breaking his right leg during a game between the Washington Redskins and the Houston Texans at FedEX Field on November 18, 2018, in Landover, MD. (Photo by John McDonnell/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
The Washington Redskins have to prepare for the possibility that they could be without Alex Smith in 2019.
Alex Smith had the Washington Redskins poised to win an NFC East that was wide open for them. After years of inconsistent results with Kirk Cousins as their starting quarterback, the Redskins traded for Smith in the offseason, giving them a viable and stable quarterback option seemingly for the next few years.
But then came last Sunday’s game against the Houston Texans, and Smith suffered a compound fracture in his right leg that was just a little too Joe Theismann-esque.
At this point, it’s not known if Smith will ever play football again. Washington fans witnessed the same type of injury with Theismann back in 1985, when his leg was crushed by legendary New York Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor. After that, Thiesmann was forced into retirement.
Sometimes an injury of that magnitude is just too much for a player to come back from. It’s not impossible, but you never know.
Should Smith be able to make a full recovery, it’s hard to tell at this point if he would be ready to play again by the start of the 2019 season. They have reason to be optimistic, however, as head coach Jay Gruden says Smith’s recovery time is anywhere from “six to eight months.”
But should Smith not be ready, Washington must be prepared. Backup Colt McCoy, who will start for the rest of the 2018 season, has one more year on his contract but isn’t someone you want to lean on. There is also the upcoming draft, which will feature a handful of promising quarterback prospects but nothing that can be called a top-end crop.