Alex Smith medically cleared to practice with Washington

Alex Smith was activated off the Physically Unable to Perform list Sunday — the latest step in the remarkable comeback for the Washington quarterback, 21 months after suffering a horrific, life-threatening leg injury.

Smith can now practice with his teammates for the first time since breaking his leg in a November 2018 game against the Houston Texans. To get to this point, Smith had to overcome 17 surgeries and an infection in his leg. But the 36-year-old had made significant progress in his recovery, most recently working to the side with trainers while on the PUP list.

The Smith household appeared to celebrate the news on Saturday. Elizabeth Smith, Smith’s wife, posted a video on Instagram of the quarterback doused with champagne by his family. The Smiths also had a cake that was topped with a Washington football helmet and a figurine using chopsticks as crutches.

Smith’s recovery also figures to further complicate Washington’s quarterback position. Since training camp began last month, coach Ron Rivera has consistently said that the 36-year-old would be “part of the equation” if Smith was able to become healthy.

That has now happened. Smith was initially placed on the PUP because Washington’s doctors were waiting to see how the quarterback would respond to football movement day in and day out. Rivera, though, indicated that Smith was making great strides when he noted that the three-time Pro Bowler had gone through eight days of workouts without any setbacks.

“As he continues to go through them and we continue to watch, we notice that he is getting stronger and stronger,” Rivera said. “His movements are all coming back. 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.”