When Alex Smith went down in Sunday's loss to the Texans, the injury looked bad. From his reaction and the instant reaction of his teammates and coaches, it became obvious the severity of the situation.
As soon as the video replays showed Smith's leg bend in the way it wasn't intended, the whole world knew bones were broken.
Now, though, as details begin to emerge after Smith had successful surgery on the injury, it sounds even worse than it looked.
Alex Smith suffered a compound fracture - meaning the bone broke through his skin, per source. Trauma surgeons discovered Smith suffered a spiral fracture in his leg - defined as a long bone broken by a rotational force. Smith, 34, faces a lengthy rehab process to try to return.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 19, 2018
On Monday, Jay Gruden explained that Smith faces a recovery time of six to eight months. That timeline puts Smith on pace to return for training camp in 2019, but that also assumes no complications from surgery and a full recovery. Smith will be 35 in May.
The Redskins acquired Smith via trade during the 2018 offseason, and immediately agreed to a contract extension with the quarterback. That deal includes $71 million guaranteed for injury.
In his first season as Redskins starter, Smith was completing 62 percent of his passes for 2,180 yards to go with 10 TDs against five INTs in 10 games before the injury. Smith guided the Redskins to a 6-3 record before leaving the Texans game and eventually landing on the injured reserve list.
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