The Washington Football Team believes it looks “promising” for quarterback Alex Smith to start Sunday night against the Philadelphia Eagles, but the team wants to see how his calf feels during pre-game warm-ups before making a final decision, said a source to ESPN’s Adam. Schefter.
Smith, who practiced for the second consecutive day on Friday, is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game, but a source said Washington plans to let him start, like all week.
Washington (6-9) wins the NFC East if it beats the Eagles (4-10-1). The team lost two consecutive games and Smith was unable to play.
Smith was practicing back-to-back days for the first time since he had a tense right calf during a December 13 game against San Francisco. Last week, Smith did not train until the Friday before the game; his calf did not react well the next day and he missed his second race in a row.
If Smith can’t play, the start would go to Taylor Heinicke, who played Dwayne Haskins Jr. replaced in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s 20-13 defeat to Carolina. In two runs Heinicke completed 12 of 19 passes for 137 yards and a touchdown.
Haskins was released Monday after struggling on the field in violation of COVID-19 protocols.
Washington signed Heinicke with the exhibition squad on December 8; he was on the active roster for the past two games.