Washington quarterback Alex Smith has come back to work on having been sidelined for 21 months with a horrifying leg injury.
Smith supported the injury subsequent to being sacked against the Houston Texans in November 2018 and has since experienced 17 surgeries in the wake of enduring a spiral and compound fracture to his right tibia and fibula.
He was left battling for his life in the wake of contracting sepsis – the body’s perilous reaction to disease – and almost needed to have his leg removed.
In any case, the 36-year-old was a week ago expelled from the NFL’s physically unfit to perform (PUP) list and is focusing on an arrival to the field.
“I still have dreams of getting back to where I was and getting back out there,” Smith told the Washington Football website.
“This has been, obviously, a crazy ride with a lot of unforeseen turns, but without a doubt that’s still my goal.”
Smith’s recuperation from injury was documented in “Project 11,” 60 minutes in length program that publicized on ESPN recently.
His family commended the updates on his arrival to training on Saturday by dousing him in champagne as he got back.
“Hard work pays off! Lots to celebrate in the Smith house tonight,” Smith’s wife Elizabeth posted on Instagram.
Smith, who played for the Kansas City Chiefs before joining Washington in 2018, will currently go up against Dwayne Haskins and Kyle Allen to be the team’s first-choice quarterback.
“We notice that he is getting stronger and stronger, his movements are all coming back,” Washington head coach Ron Rivera said on August 10.
“But again, we don’t want to put him on the field and expose him until the proper opportunity comes. We’re trying to be smart. We’re trying to be diligent in this situation because of Alex’s circumstances.
“He’s been tremendous right now and we expect him to continue to develop and grow. When the moment’s right, at the appropriate time we’ll make our decision.”
The new NFL season is set to start on September 10 and in any event 66 players have just quit over coronavirus concerns.
Coordinators have precluded a league bubble – as has been executed in the NBA and NHL – which implies players will have the option to travel openly between games and practice.
