- The Washington Times - Tuesday, December 8, 2020

The sight wasn’t pretty — blood oozing out of Alex Smith’s sock, down his ankle and across his cleat, creating a red-on-white visual enough to turn someone’s stomach.

Smith, meanwhile, acted as if the bloody leg wasn’t a big deal at all. A trainer ran out and wrapped his shin shortly before halftime of Monday night’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Washington Football Team quarterback continued on his merry way before the trainers could address the issue more completely in the locker room.

An offensive lineman’s cleat clipped Smith, causing the blood to flow. And while Smith said he gets stepped on all the time, the sight was still new for Smith

“You get stepped on a bunch as a quarterback, and especially that front leg. And you get kind of used to it, numb to it,” Smith said postgame. “Really, it was the visual when I looked down, and obviously my spat [ankle tape] was bloody.

“And I could visually see the blood kind of pumping out. So that was a good one. Lucked out with the timing; it was right before half. So we were able to just tape it up until we got in at halftime and take better care of it. Never had one gush like that. New for me, but thankfully it’s not serious at all.”

The gash happened on Smith’s non-surgically repaired leg. He toughed out the cut and led Washington to a 23-17 upset win against the previously undefeated Steelers.

Smith said the wound didn’t require stiches at halftime.

“We were able to kind of clean it, bandage it up and get back out there,” Smith said.

He finished with 296 passing yards on 31 completions, and he hit tight end Logan Thomas in the fourth quarter for the game-tying touchdown. Dustin Hopkins sealed the victory with two late field goals.

Playing through that injury might not come as much of a surprise, considering Smith’s perseverance from a leg injury that nearly ended his career. He’s back under center, though, having undergone a slew of surgeries. And he’s helping Washington push for the playoffs, with wins in three of his four starts this season.

Curt Schilling can move aside. Smith has his own bloody sock game, now.

• Andy Kostka can be reached at akostka@washingtontimes.com.

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