Ever since Washington quarterback Alex Smith went down with a calf strain in the Week 14 game against the San Francisco 49ers, we’re yet to get much clarity on the situation.
Initial reports were that Smith was just experiencing some tightness and that he could have returned to the game in an emergency situation, but a session with the media on Wednesday revealed that he has been dealing with this injury since practice last week, and it was something that progressively got worse throughout the first half of the game.
As of now, we don’t know if Smith will be able to play against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, but if you were to ask coach Ron Rivera, getting any practices in this week is not a prerequisite requirement.
Ron Rivera said that with a "smart football player" like Alex Smith, he would feel good about playing him on Sunday even if he doesn't practice this week.
— Logan Campbell (@loganncampbelll) December 16, 2020
If Smith is unable to go, it will be Dwayne Haskins who takes the reins in a big game for Washington against the 9-4 Seahawks. It may be important to note that Washington typically sends their starting quarterback to talk to the media on Wednesdays after practice, and it was Smith who assumed those duties, however much you wish to read into that.
What we can assume, though, is that Smith will likely carry a questionable tag heading into the weekend, and he may truly be a game-time decision after warming up on Sunday. If there’s one benefit from all of this, at least it will likely force Pete Carroll and the Seahawks to prepare for both quarterbacks.
