Former Kansas City Chiefs QB Alex Smith continues to make progress toward his eventual return to football after a devastating leg injury in 2018.
Smith told ESPN last week that his surgical team had officially cleared him to resume all football activities. He reported to training camp on schedule for his COVID-19 testing and his physical examination.
On Monday, the Washington Football Team placed Smith on the physically unable to perform list with the active designation. That means that Smith counts toward the 80-man offseason roster and can be activated at any given time.
This is an important step because Smith will be able to do some work off on the side during training camp with the athletic training staff. Washington’s medical team will be able to monitor his progress. He’ll also be allowed in the building where he can work with Dwayne Haskins and Kyle Allen. The hope in Washington is that he can have the same type of impact on one of those players that he had on current Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes during the 2017 season.
Washington acquired Smith in trade with Kansas City ahead of the 2018 NFL season and signed him to a four-year extension worth $94 million. In 2018, ahead of Smith’s injury, he threw for 2,180 yards, 10 touchdowns and five interceptions in 10 games with the team.
