Washington HC Ron Rivera told reporters Monday the team would stick with QB Alex Smith as its starter going forward after the injury to Kyle Allen.
The team still has 2019 first-round QB Dwayne Haskins but Rivera said the reasons he benched Haskins still apply as far as the team competing for the playoffs.
“Nothing has really changed in the NFC East other than we lost the tiebreaker with the Giants. It’s still a close race,” Rivera said per Nicki Jhabvala.
Smith’s return to the field after a catastrophic leg injury two years ago is one of the most unlikely stories of the 2020 season. He’s already made a couple of appearances for Washington and some reports have indicated the team wants him to take control of the starting job.
Smith, 36, is a former first-round pick of the 49ers back in 2005. After seven years in San Francisco, Smith was traded to the Chiefs in 2013.
Smith was in the fourth year of his five-year, $76 million contract that includes $45 million guaranteed and set to make a base salary of $10.8 million for the 2018 season when he was traded to Washington.
Washington and Smith later agreed to a four-year, $94 million contract that included $55 million fully guaranteed.
In 2020, Smith has appeared in two games for Washington and completed 33 of 49 passes (67.3 percent) for 362 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions.
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