Washington rookie running back Antonio Gibson is expected to be able to play in Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers after being sidelined with turf toe.
Gibson’s return comes following a two-week absence. The third-rounder suffered the injury in a win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, keeping him out of a win against the San Francisco 49ers and a loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
Washington will be glad to have Gibson back — especially since star wide receiver Terry McLaurin will miss the Panthers game with an ankle injury. McLaurin did not practice this week and is listed as doubted.
When healthy, Gibson had become a spark for Washington’s offense. A dual threat, Gibson has 892 yards from scrimmage with 659 of those coming on the ground. Gibson is averaging 4.7 yards per carry and has 11 touchdowns on the year.
Prior to Pittsburgh, Gibson was coming off his best game of the season — a three-touchdown, 161-yard performance against the Dallas Cowboys.
With Gibson expected to return and McLaurin out, Washington still does not know if quarterback Alex Smith (calf) will be able to start. The 36-year-old was a full participant in Friday’s practice, but woke up sore on Saturday morning — putting his availability in further question.
Elsewhere, the team released veteran wideout Dontrelle Inman on Saturday to activate rookie receiver Antonio Gandy-Golden (hamstring) off injured reserve.
• Matthew Paras can be reached at mparas@washingtontimes.com.
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