With graphic details and graphic images, ESPN.com’s Elizabeth Smith and Stephania Bell bring us the story of Alex Smith‘s gruesome injury and his road to recovery.
“Our first priority is we’re going to save his life,” a hospital worker said to Alex’s wife, Elizabeth, just days after the injury. “And then we’re going to do our best to save his leg. And anything beyond that is a miracle.”
Smith said that he feels “very much lucky to be alive” after the horrific injury and ensuing sepsis infection. And, after celebrating his 36th birthday in May, the Redskins quarterback is working towards an NFL return. Mrs. Smith, meanwhile, is conflicted.
“When I think about Alex returning to football, there’s part of me that wants him to do whatever he has the inner drive to do. If that means stepping back on the football field and throwing on those pads, then I want him to prove that to himself. But obviously there’s part of me asking, “‘Is it worth ever doing that again? Do you know what we just went through?'”
Here’s more on the Redskins, the Redskins’ quarterback situation, and the rest of the NFC East:
- Talk of Tua Tagovailoa going to the Redskins didn’t bother starter Dwayne Haskins.“Throughout the whole process Ron [Rivera] was just telling me to trust him,” Haskins said (via JP Finlay of NBC Sports). “I did so it worked out.” The Redskins were long expected to take Chase Young with the No. 2 pick, but there were Tua rumblings on draft week. Ultimately, they took the Ohio State edge rusher and passed on the Alabama star.
- If the Cowboys can’t work out an extension with Dak Prescott by July 15th, they’ll have to wait until after the 2020 season to resume negotiations. That deadline puts some serious pressure on the team to get something done with their beloved QB, but COO Stephen Jones says he won’t break the budget. “There’s all sorts of analytics out there that show if your quarterback takes up too big a percentage of your salary cap, it decreases your chances to win,” Jones said (via PFT). “We’re just trying to figure out the right fit. No one wants to sign Dak to a longer term deal more than Jerry and myself. We’re on the record time and time again on what we think of him as a leader. He has the ‘it’ factor. He’s a fierce competitor. He wants to win as well, and it’s just gotta be right for him and right for us.”
- The Cowboys are feeling really, really good about their Day 2 and Day 3 haul in the draft, Todd Archer of ESPN.com writes. Before the draft, they had a “high-second-round” grade on cornerback Trevon Diggs – they landed him at No. 51 overall. They assigned a second-round grade to defensive tackle Neville Gallimore, and snagged him in the third. In the fourth round, they see yet another steal – the scouting department gave center Tyler Biadasz a high-third-round score and snagged him with the last pick of the fourth round. Time will tell, but the Cowboys are doing cartwheels over their 2020 middle-round choices.
- Carlos Hyde, who racked up 1,000+ yards rushing in Houston last year, is still available. The Eagles are interested, but they only want him at the right price.
- Recently, the Giants reworked Cooper Rush‘s contract to dial down his base pay but also give him a chunk of guaranteed money. That may bode well for his odds of making the roster, but he’s got lots of competition.
Is jerruh still in the shower thinking about it haha
Cowboys killed the draft. Great job filling needs and getting the best player on the board
Haskins will get this season and then be replaced by Trevor Lawrence next year.
Patriots might win that battle
Losing for Lawrence?
I believe it’s Tank for Trevor.
I’m curious who Washington would have selected had they traded down with Miami for the #5 pick, Young would have gone at #3 to DET I imagine. Thoughts?
I would have liked them to trade back twice. Even go back into the late teens. They need a slew of new people and easiest way to change a locker room is by filling it eager rookies.
As good as Chase Young may be, I agree that the Redskins would benefitted much, much, much more with the high draft picks from trading back than by adding another college phenom to a front 7 loaded with college phenoms. Whomever they trade out of Washington to make room for Young’s snaps won’t fetch them anything near what the trade back would have given them for a player they did not exactly need.
Okudah…maybe a tackle, but with the Giants taking Thomas , Okudah would’ve been the best guy .Better what-if is to play off of that trade with what would they have gotten. If they received 18 from Miami, would they have then swapped it to ATL or another team to grab the falling Lamb?
This Prescott thing is driving me mad as a Cowboy fan. I would let him walk. He hasn’t won a thing and if they could win when they were paying him 750k then how are they going to win paying him 35 million. His best year was his rookie year when they ran 65 percent of the time and he threw 18 times a game. He’s not accurate enough to sustain drives and I would go for it this year and let him walk after the season.
Disclaimer: I’m a Giants fan
I think if the Cowboys plan to sign Dak at all, they better do it now. He’s not the reason they went 8-8. The defense and coaching is. imo, Garrett was a pretty bad coach, and the Cowboys are finally rid of him.
With a competent coach, finally, the Cowboys don’t have anything holding them back. They had, on paper at least, a great draft and play in a weak division. They could easily make the playoffs this year and go deep into them. At which point, Dak will be asking for even more.
Do you want to go back to the days of Quincy Carter? Drew Bledsoe? Testaverde? Chad Hutchinson? Drew Henson? Prescott is a very good QB, and despite what you’re saying, he’s accurate (over 65% career completion percentage) and can take charge. He threw for almost 5,000 yards last year.
What’s the plan if you let him walk?
“What’s the plan if you let him walk?”
Well, obviously Jerry would want to take the money saved and place it in his “yacht allowance fund”.
A lot of shiny offensive toys signed in Dallas. Shouldn’t be hard to attract a veteran QB on a short term deal. Resign Dalton to a multi year, cheaper contract. Stafford, Rodgers, Baker may all be available to acquire by 2021 season. Trade up to draft a 1st/2nd round QB next year. Who knows. Hard to commit 35 mil a year to a QB who has a lot of replaceable on the field attributes.
To be fair, people who use the phrase “hasn’t won a thing” most often aren’t about to make a very football knowledgeable statement.
A much more mature way of responding than simply calling someone nasty names.
Rct, you’re right on point. It’s been the defense, not Prescott, that has held the team back. He’s a top 10 QB and is not replaceable with a Dalton or god forbid a Newton. Hope the team and Dak can find a reasonable compromise.
This team spent many years in the QB desert as your name’s painfully point out. I’d add the names of Brandon Weeden and Matt Cassel from when Romo was hurt. Some fans think that legit QBs grow on trees …
Thank you. Well said
Do I want to go back to Quincy carter or Hutchison and Henson? No. No I do not !
Too bad there isn’t a SB for the best posturing teams. Cowboys would win in a rout.
Enough Dak contract talk. We all know Jerry delaying the inevitable. I think it was coaching which is why I didn’t want Garrett on the Giants. Dak is good but to deserve top money prove it under the franchise tag and take them to a Super Bowl. Show the world you didn’t thrive because of Garrett. If they fail again reason to let Dak walk and try someone else.
You don’t want Garrett with the Giants but your saying he’s why Dak thrived? This is rather confusing.
I believe he’s saying show the world the reason he didn’t thrive was because of Garrett
Maybe Dak isn’t the fit for the new staff. Maybe next year they decide to transition tag him to get the draft picks and don’t forget there is a lot of QBs coming off 1 yr deals along with Dalton. If I’m Dak I sign the tag play you ass off then see what JJ does sitting isn’t good for him.
Good point. Dak has offered a lot of production and perhaps wants to use this as his only moment of certainty leverage-wise, but the Cowboys offered him a good contract that he turned down. I don’t think that he’s convincing them currently to offer him more than that, so the franchise tag is his chance to convince them to try again.
I think the offer they made was very good, but as much individual value as Dak had (yes, throwing for 5000 yards and leading the offense reasonably well is valuable to a team), it’s hard to turn down a good offer and say you’re worth more in a campaign that did not end with a winning record. Even if the win-loss column is not 100% Dak’s responsibility, he should understand that the position he’s in is occupied by people who can put better stuff on their resume and he needs to convince Dallas that he’s not only capable of doing that, but also is capable of doing what he did last year consistently. Harder to do that without good teammates around you, which is what a large cap number hurts.
If you want money, best to do that after a playoff run, and it’s easiest to do that with good (more expensive, usually) teammates. I know his agent wants the honor of smashing the contract record and thinks a good QB with America’s Team is the way to do it, but he might end up hurting his client overall by rejecting good offers now for hypothetical perfect offers later.
I don’t know that it is even relevant that there are “people who can put better stuff on their resume”. Those people, with an exception or two, are in the twilight of their careers and can’t be a long term solution for the Cowboys.
I don’t mean anyone in particular, just that while he has shown good talent and ability, there is still a lot that he hasn’t done yet that is to be expected from the league’s highest paid player. It’s not a reference to anyone else really, just a way of saying that he has a lot more work to do in terms of accomplishments and not to let it get to his head. I believe Dak can accomplish a lot, and is worth major investment, but I would be wary if I were him of demanding too much more and losing a good opportunity in the process.
Exactly I want to see what Dak can do now without Garrett. No more excuses now with Garrett gone. Your the QB of the Dallas Cowboys bet on yourself and talent. Win the division. Sign the one year Franchise tag. Trust me if you win in Dallas Jerry will take care of financially. If you don’t win then Cowboys need to move on with someone else. The Cowboys have a great offense it’s going to be hard to fail. If he does show him the door. Calling out all Cowboys fans? Don’t you want him to win big before he’s gets top dollar QB in History before Mahomes signs his deal.
I hope Alex Smith and Ryan shaziar get back and play agian
I hope Alex realizes what a wonderfully supportive wife he has. A woman like that is worth more than any SB ring.