Washington’s Alex Smith will take a physical exam on Monday and he’s expected to begin camp on the club’s active/PUP list, according to Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). This doesn’t necessarily mean that Smith will be able to play in 2020, but it’s an encouraging step forward for the quarterback. 
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Smith, 36, has said that he feels “very much lucky to be alive” after his horrific injury and ensuing sepsis infection. Smith’s wife, and others, have expressed concern about the QB’s plans to return. He’s already made more money than he can ever spend, but he badly wants to retake the field.
“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,” Smith’s wife, Elizabeth Smith, said earlier this year. “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?’”
Smith’s contract calls for him to count for $21.4MM against Washington’s cap this year, with his $16MM base salary fully guaranteed. If he is ultimately cleared to play, he’ll join Dwayne Haskins and Kyle Allen on the QB depth chart.
So if he passes the physical and is added to the roster his money kicks in
I don’t think it matters. He was injured on the field, his money should be guaranteed. Whether it’s paid by insurance or the team, it should still count against the cap. If he retired, that’s a different story
In the future, I hope they don’t have gruesome injuries count against the cap. Totally unfair to the team.
The only way he doesn’t count on the books if it is career ending.
And it seems to not be career ending so he will count on books.
What happens if he beats out Haskins, will Haskins still start?
“What happens if he beats out Haskins, will Haskins still start?”
If Haskins starts, by default, that means he beat out Smith. Who’s the better QB? Up for debate. I remember the Browns intent on starting Tyrod Taylor over Baker Mayfield, even though Baker was much much better than Tyrod in the preseason back in 2018.
That’s what I meant I didn’t know if Washington decided if Haskins was the QB already. Because smith was better preinjury.
His $$ is already guaranteed for 2020, regardless if he is healthy or not.
It’s in Alex Smith’s best financial interest to attempt to play. If he retires, he forfeits the remaining dollars. If he’s forced to retired due to injury, he collects the majority, if not all, of the guaranteed money remaining.
If I was Alex Smith or Ryan Shazier, I would consider my family before any discussion of comeback attempt. I can’t imagine the stress the spouse and their children went through to see their father not being able to walk, or possibly die, from playing a game.
How many 36 yr old QBs make successful comebacks? Washington will exercise their opt out option next year with Smith and take the dead cap hit of about $11M.
Smart woman.