The Washington Redskins confirmed on Monday that quarterback Alex Smith is unlikely to return to the NFL next season as he continues to recover from a gruesome leg injury.
Smith, 34, was injured in the Redskins’ Week 11 loss to the Houston Texans and had to be helped off the field on a stretcher. He was initially diagnosed with a broken tibia and fibula after the game. After undergoing surgery, Smith got infected in the same wound and had to be hospitalized for several weeks.
Last week, the Redskins shared an image of Smith’s injured leg. The leg was wrapped and held in place by an intricate brace, prompting social media users to talk about the quarterback’s future. Earlier on, NFL insider Ian Rapoport had spurred a similar debate after he tweeted that Smith’s NFL future was in jeopardy.
“No one has been able to definitely say he is going to play football going forward,” the reported said last December.
After Smith’s picture was shared online, Redskins president Bruce Allen made a comment saying there was hope about the quarterback’s injury.
“We’ll see how it goes,” Allen said. “We’re optimistic. If anyone can come back, it’s Alex. I’m sure he wanted to shoot hoops at the game yesterday, but we’ll see.”
