Washington QB Alex Smith Activated
One of the most remarkable comebacks in NFL history is complete. Washington Football Team quarterback Alex Smith has been activated off the PUP list and will return to the field, as Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic was the first to report (via Twitter). The team formally announced the move this morning.
By now, most NFL fans know the story. Smith, whom Washington acquired in a trade with the Chiefs in January 2018 and subsequently signed to a four-year, $94MM extension, broke the tibia and fibula in his right leg during a game against the Texans in November 2018. The injury was gruesome to behold, and its aftermath was even worse.
Smith developed sepsis, and the possibility of amputation was very real. The three-time Pro Bowler even indicated that he feels lucky just to be alive. He ultimately underwent 17 operations but vowed to resume his playing career, though his wife, Elizabeth, has understandably been conflicted on the matter.
But in an Instagram post that preceded Jhabvala’s report, Elizabeth wrote, “Hard work pays off! Lots to celebrate in the Smith house tonight,” and uploaded a video showing Alex’s family spraying him with champagne.
Of course, much has changed since Smith’s injury (aside from his team’s name). Washington was 6-3 and in the thick of the the NFC East race before Smith was hurt, but they ended up 7-9 that season and finished third in the division. They drafted Dwayne Haskins in the first round of the 2019 draft to be their QB of the future, and after they limped to a 3-13 record last season, they overhauled their front office and coaching staff, bringing in Ron Rivera as their new field general.
Rivera has previously indicated that Smith would be included in the team’s QB competition if activated, and while it would be surprising to see anyone other than Haskins under center when Week 1 rolls around, it’s clearly unwise to count Smith out. As John Keim of ESPN.com writes, Smith will be on the field when Washington begins full-pad work on Tuesday.
Now 36, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2005 draft will, if nothing else, provide invaluable veteran mentorship for Haskins and Kyle Allen. Smith will carry a $21.4MM cap charge in 2020, but Washington can release him after the season for some significant cap relief. He is due to count $24.4MM against the cap in 2021, but his dead cap hit drops to $10.8MM.
COVID-19 Latest: Testing, Lynn, Draft, Fans
The NFL will extend its daily COVID-19 testing period through Sept. 5, the NFLPA announced. This comes after the league declared the positive test rate of Tier 1 and Tier 2 individuals to be lower than 1%. The league and the union’s original daily testing agreement ran through August 19. When the parties agreed on that time window, the agreement was they would move to every-other-day testing if the positive rate ended up below 5% in that period. But the sides made a preemptive move to err on the side of caution.
New protocols will also include players who test positive undergoing an EKG, blood tests for heart function and an echocardiogram, Mark Maske of the Washington Post reports (on Twitter). Heart complications are now being associated with COVID-19. Red Sox pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez encountered a heart issue after he contracted the virus, and part of the reasoning behind the Big Ten postponing its season stemmed from at least 10 conference players battling myocarditis — a rare condition featuring inflammation of the heart muscle — according to The Athletic’s Nicole Auerbach (subscription required).
Here is the latest on the league’s battle with the coronavirus:
- Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn revealed during the first episode of Hard Knocks he contracted COVID-19 earlier in the offseason. The fourth-year Bolts HC experienced symptoms. He is the third head coach known to have contracted the virus, following Sean Payton and Doug Pederson.
- The Big Ten and Pac-12 attempting to play spring football may now prompt the NFL to change its mind regarding the draft. The NFL “would have to” consider moving off its late-April draft date if colleges play their seasons in the spring, Maske tweets. Last month, the NFL’s stance was firm on keeping the draft in April. But with conferences taking last-resort measures of postponing seasons indefinitely, the league appears to be understandably changing its tune. No NFL draft has occurred before a college season’s conclusion since the 1960s.
- Add Washington to the list of teams who will play home games without fans this season. The franchise announced the decision Wednesday. Washington, however, added that this policy would be subject to change if the conditions surrounding the pandemic improve over the course of the season. Washington joins the Giants, Jets and Raiders as teams to announce their home games will not involve spectators.
- Other teams have not given up on having fans at games. The Chiefs, Cowboys and Patriots are among teams working on a pod system, which has gained the most traction among potential solutions, Charles Robinson of Yahoo.com tweets. The goal of this unusual setup would be to place clusters of masked fans together at different sections of stadiums, Robinson adds (on Twitter). Considering the social distancing component in COVID-19 safety recommendations, this would be an interesting setup. But a month away from the season, most teams’ attendance plans still appear fluid.
Washington Activates Reuben Foster
The Washington Football Team has activated Reuben Foster from the PUP list, per a club announcement. The linebacker is now on track to play in the team’s season opener. 
[RELATED: 2020 NFL Cap Space, By Team]
Foster suffered a torn ACL, MCL, and LCL in his first Washington practice back in May of 2019. Foster also suffered nerve damage, further complicating an already challenging recovery. The 26-year-old only just regained feeling in his toes earlier this year, so this marks a major step forward for him.
The controversial linebacker could provide a huge boost to Washington’s front seven in 2020. He’ll also have extra motivation as he retakes the field – Ron Rivera & Co. declined his fifth-year option for 2021, putting him on course for free agency in March.
Between his suspensions and injuries, Foster has played in just 16 games since being drafted No. 31 overall in 2017. In 16 total games for the Niners, Foster has registered 101 tackles and two passes defensed.
Washington Football Team Releases Derrius Guice
Shortly after his arrest for domestic violence charges, Washington released running back Derrius Guice. Guice is facing charges for three separate incidents that took place earlier this year, and Washington moved fast to drop the former LSU star. 
[RELATED: Washington Football Team To Sign Dontrelle Inman]
Guice was viewed by many as the second-best running back in the 2018 draft class behind Saquon Barkley, but rumored off-field issues caused him to fall to Washington at No. 59 overall. Guice went on to miss his his entire rookie campaign after a summer ACL tear. Then, complications from surgery caused his rehab to drag. Last year, a knee injury put him back on IR and he appeared in just five games. From a football perspective, Washington was excited to see what Guice could do – in that limited sample, he averaged 5.8 yards per carry.
With Guice out of the picture, Washington will move forward with Adrian Peterson, former Seahawk J.D. McKissic, and ex-Buc Peyton Barber, on the depth chart. They also have rookie RB/WR Antonio Gibson on the roster, plus Bryce Love. That could be enough backfield firepower for Ron Rivera & Co., especially if Love stays healthy. Still, it stands to reason that they’ll explore the open market between now and Week 1.
2020 NFL Cap Space, By Team
A total of 67 NFL players opted out of the 2020 season, leaving teams with major roster holes and newly-found cap space. Here’s the rundown of every team’s official cap figure, via ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter):
- Cleveland Browns – $40.5MM
- New England Patriots – $33.4MM
- Washington Football Team – $30.6MM
- Denver Broncos – $29.5MM
- New York Jets – $29.3MM
- Tennessee Titans – $25.2MM
- Miami Dolphins – $24.7MM
- Buffalo Bills – $24.2MM
- Philadelphia Eagles – $23.7MM
- Detroit Lions – $22.9MM
- Indianapolis Colts – $22.3MM
- New York Giants – $21.4MM
- Houston Texans – $21.1MM
- Cincinnati Bengals – $18.6MM
- Chicago Bears – $17.2MM
- Jacksonville Jaguars – $17MM
- Seattle Seahawks – $14.5MM
- Los Angeles Chargers – $13.7MM
- Green Bay Packers – $12.3MM
- Carolina Panthers – $13.2MM
- Kansas City Chiefs – $13MM
- San Francisco 49ers – $12.5MM
- Minnesota Vikings – $12.4MM
- Dallas Cowboys – $9.9MM
- New Orleans Saints – $7.8MM
- Atlanta Falcons – $7.4MM
- Baltimore Ravens – $7MM
- Arizona Cardinals – $5.6MM
- Pittsburgh Steelers – $4.5MM
- Los Angeles Rams – $3.9MM
- Las Vegas Raiders – $3.3MM
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers – $1.4MM
Washington Football Team To Sign Dontrelle Inman
Dontrelle Inman is expected to sign with the Washington Football Team after he completes a physical on Monday, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The wide receiver will provide depth for a team that lost Kelvin Harmon to an ACL tear earlier this summer. 
[RELATED: Kelvin Harmon Tears ACL]
Harmon was set to feature as one of the Redskins’ top receivers, alongside Terry McLaurin and Trey Quinn. With Harmon no longer in the picture for 2020, Inman figures to slot somewhere alongside Cam Sims, Steven Sims Jr., and fourth-round pick Antonio Gandy-Golden on the depth chart. The status of Cody Latimer – who facing multiple charges following his May arrest – remains murky.
Inman made his name with the Chargers in 2016, catching 58 passes for 810 yards and four touchdowns in a breakout season. In recent years, he’s bounced around a bit. The Bolts traded Inman to the Bears midway through 2017, but he wasn’t able to regain his old form. In 2018, he inked a one-year deal with the Colts and went on to catch 28 passes for 304 yards and three scores in nine games. Last year, he signed deals with the Patriots and Chargers before circling back to the Colts. All in all, he finished 2019 with 12 grabs for 181 yards.
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/30/20
Here are Thursday’s minor moves, with the list being updated throughout the afternoon.
Chicago Bears
- Reverted to reserve/NFI list (after being waived/injured): CB Tre Roberson
Green Bay Packers
- Claimed off waivers (from Chiefs): FB John Lovett
New England Patriots
- Re-signed: QB Brian Lewerke
New York Giants
- Placed on reserve/retired list: T Nate Wozniak
New York Jets
- Waived: DL Domenique Davis
San Francisco 49ers
- Released: T Leonard Wester
- Waived: DL Alex Barrett
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Waived: S Deiondre’ Hall, TE Jordan Leggett
Washington Football Team
- Claimed off waivers (from Dolphins): CB Ryan Lewis
Matt Jones Drawing NFL Interest
It’s been a few years since we’ve seen Matt Jones in the NFL, but he hasn’t given up hope of a return. He also has some reason to believe – the running back has chatted with multiple teams as the season draws near, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter).
As Garafolo points out, Jones’ odds could be helped by the growing list of players opting out of the 2020 season. Every team that loses a running back, in theory, is a potential landing spot for the former Colts and [Washington Football Team] rusher.
Jones played for the St. Louis Battlehawks of the XFL, up until the league’s midseason cancellation. He was named to the all-league team at the halfway point, behind a decent 3.9 yards per carry average. Of course, it all came on a minimal sample size – 80 carries for 314 yards, plus a 25-yard touchdown catch.
Jones, 27, came into the league as a third round pick with Washington. For a time, he was their top rusher, and he showed promise in short bursts. Eventually, he slipped down the depth chart and he was jettisoned from the roster in 2017. He then moved on to the Colts, swaying between the practice squad and active roster. In his limited time with the Colts’ varsity squad, he averaged less than three yards per carry.
Jones’ last NFL deal came with the Eagles in 2018, but he did not make their final cut.
NFC East Notes: Eagles, Guice, Giants
The Eagles will be without Lane Johnson for a while. They placed their Pro Bowl right tackle on the reserve/COVID-19 list Wednesday. Teams are not permitted to disclose whether a player tested positive or if he was placed on the list for other reasons, but Johnson tweets he did indeed test positive for COVID-19. The eighth-year right tackle will be on the shelf for a bit because of the roster designation. The reserve/COVID-19 designation is for players who have tested positive for the coronavirus or are in quarantine for potential exposure. Players must pass three coronavirus tests to return to action. Fellow tackle Jordan Mailata and linebacker Nathan Gerry also landed on Philadelphia’s reserve/COVID list.
Here is the latest from the NFC East:
- Ahead of what could be a make-or-break season, Washington running back Derrius Guice is healthy again. The third-year player tweeted that he has been fully cleared for participation in football activities. Guice missed all of 2018 with an ACL tear and encountered multiple bouts of knee trouble last season as well. The former second-round pick has played in five of a possible 32 regular-season games and now will attempt to carve out a role for a new Washington regime.
- Although rookies have come in at slot deals since 2011, the Eagles sweetened their second-round quarterback’s deal a bit. Jalen Hurts‘ four-year, $6.02MM rookie contract includes a $75K workout bonus in 2022 and a $100K workout bump in 2023, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The Broncos included workout bonuses in 2019 second-round pick Drew Lock‘s contract.
- The Giants and Leonard Williams were not close on a long-term deal, and an NFL executive believes Big Blue overpaid the sixth-year defensive lineman on the $16.1MM franchise tag, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com notes. Williams has an interesting trait of almost sacking quarterbacks, ranking 12th in QB hits (101) since 2015 but 84th in sacks in that span. As a result of the pricey tag, which makes Williams the Giants’ highest-paid player this season, an agent told Raanan that the team raised Williams’ asking price. Despite registering a half-sack in 15 games last season, Williams sought an $18-$20MM-per-year deal.
- Ten-year veteran defensive lineman Ziggy Hood is moving into the coaching ranks. The former defensive tackle will be a Washington coaching intern this season, John Keim of ESPN.com tweets. Hood, 33, played in Washington from 2016-18.
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/28/20
Here are Tuesday’s minor moves, with the list being updated throughout the afternoon. With teams having until August 16 to cut their rosters from 90 to 80 players, many are doing so before on-field camp work begins.
Carolina Panthers
- Claimed off waivers (from Patriots): LB Kyahva Tezino
- Waived: OL Juwann Bushell-Beatty
Dallas Cowboys
- Waived: RB Jordan Chunn, DT Garrett Marino
Denver Broncos
- Waived/NFI: WR Zimari Manning
Houston Texans
- Waived: LB Jamir Jones, LS Anthony Kukwa, QB Nick Tiano
Indianapolis Colts
- Waived: TE Matt Lengel
Las Vegas Raiders
- Claimed off waivers (from Seahawks): G Jordan Roos
- Waived: DE Ade Aruna
New York Giants
- Claimed off waivers (from Broncos): DB Shakial Taylor
San Francisco 49ers
- Waived: LB Joey Alfieri, CB Jermaine Kelly, S Derrick Kindred, QB Broc Rutter, OL Ray Smith
- Waived/NFI: WR Chris Finke
- Waived/non-football illness: Willie Henry
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Waived/NFI: LB Kendell Beckwith (as of Sept. 2019, the former starter was not planning to play again)
Washington Football Team
- Signed: OL Kevin Pamphile, LB Donald Payne