New on Sports Illustrated: Washington QB Alex Smith Cleared to Resume Full Football Activity

Smith hasn't played in the NFL since November 2018 after suffering a fractured tibia and fibula, injuries that were life-threatening after struggling with post-surgery infection.

Washington quarterback Alex Smith, who suffered a serious tibia and fibula fracture in November 2018 and hasn't played since, was cleared for full football activity on Friday, per ESPN's Stephania Bell.

Smith is now going through COVID-19 testing and, if cleared, will report to the team's facility on Monday. He will then undergo a physical before the team determines what his next steps will be for him to participate in training camp.

Smith has been training in Hawaii for the past few months. He underwent X-rays and a CT scan when he returned to Washington before finally being told by his team of doctors that the results were very encouraging.

"Everyone was in agreement that my bone was in a really good place," Smith told ESPN. "I had healed a lot. They said that given the combination of the rod and where I was with the healing process, I had zero limitations and could even resume some football activities.

"To hear them say that from a life standpoint, they wouldn't restrict me from doing anything -- I could go skiing or snowboarding tomorrow if I wanted -- then on top of that, to get the green light that I could practice, get contact, that I had healed up, that much was pretty wild to hear. I didn't know if I would ever hear those words."

Smith's road to recovery was daunting. On top of the fractures, he dealt with infection following his surgeries, which resulted in some gruesome details and even talk of amputation.

Now, Smith is focused on continuing his comeback and preparing himself for the season, which is slated to begin on time after the NFLPA voted to accept amendments to the current collective bargaining agreement.

"For me, all eyes are on practice," Smith said. "That's the next step. I have to go prove to myself and certainly to everybody else that I can go practice." 

July 25, 2020 at 05:32AM
Washington QB Alex Smith Cleared to Resume Full Football Activity