Redskins’ Cassanova McKinzy Suffers Injury
Redskins linebacker Cassanova McKinzy suffered a torn pectoral muscle in Thursday’s loss to the Cowboys, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). McKinzy was out of football for two years due to injury, so it’s undoubtedly frustrating for the 26-year-old. 
[RELATED: Latest On Redskins QB Alex Smith]
McKinzy returned to the Thanksgiving contest after exiting with a shoulder injury, but a torn pec is a far more serious injury. The Redskins will be forced to shut McKinzy down for the year and place him on the injured reserve list this week.
McKinzy, an Auburn product, appeared in three games for the Redskins this year. The club has him under control through next season at a $570K cap number with no guarantees.
Latest On Redskins QB Alex Smith
Quarterback Alex Smith will need 6-8 months to recover from the broken leg he suffered on Sunday, according to head coach Jay Gruden. It’s far from ideal, but the injury is not expected to threaten his career, and that’s good news considering the gruesome nature of the break. 
When Smith went down against the Texans, his broken bone actually punctured his skin, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The 34-year-old will face a lengthy and painful rehab process, but the timeline estimated by doctors would put him in line to suit up for training camp in 2019.
The injury sounds like a career-ender to the layman, but as Dr. David Chao writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune, the bone puncturing the skin merely increases the likelihood for infection. Smith underwent immediate surgery to lessen the chance of that happening, however, and modern medicine should take care of the rest.
Thanks to the four-year contract extension he signed in 2018, Smith is under contract with the Redskins through the 2022 season. The 34-year-old is set to carry a $20.4MM cap number in 2019 and his $16MM base salary will be fully guaranteed by remaining on the roster on the fifth day of the 2019 league year.
Redskins To Sign QB Mark Sanchez
The Redskins have agreed to sign free agent quarterback Mark Sanchez, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Sanchez worked out alongside a number of QBs on Monday and apparently made the strongest impression on team brass. 
Its been roughly a decade since Sanchez entered the league as the No. 5 overall pick in the 2009 draft and secured a five-year deal worth up to $60MM from the Jets. Lauded as a strong leader and a quality game manager, Sanchez was under center for back-to-back AFC Championship game appearances in his first two NFL seasons.
Since then, however, Sanchez’s career has been in decline. He has not attempted an NFL pass since his 2016 season with the Cowboys and he spent the 2017 season as a benchwarmer for the Bears. This past spring, he was hit with a four-game ban for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing drug policy. Unfortunately, Sanchez’s success in New York is a distant memory and the 32-year-old is remembered more for the infamous buttfumble than anything else at this point.
The Redskins’ quarterback plans were turned upside down this week when starter Alex Smith suffered a broken tibia and fibia. Sanchez will now serve as the one and only backup to Colt McCoy, who just attempted his first throw since 2015.
Sanchez has some ties to the Redskins’ coaching staff and that familiarity likely played a role in the signing. Redskins offensive coordinator Matt Cavanaugh was the Jets’ quarterbacks coach from 2009-12, offensive line coach Bill Callahan was the Jets’ assistant head coach and offensive line coach from ’08-’11, and Redskins QB coach Kevin O’Connell was teammates with “San-chise” for a bit in New York.
E.J. Manuel, T.J. Yates, Kellen Clemens, and Josh Johnson also participated in the Redskins’ workout on Monday.
Kaepernick Still Interested In Playing
With Alex Smith suffering a broken tibia and fibia on Sunday, the Redskins have begun searching for another quarterback, with several veterans expected to work out for the team on Monday. One name that has not been linked to a workout is Colin Kaepernick. If Washington called, however, people close to the quarterback said he is still interested in returning to the NFL, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio writes. 
This contradicts another story from USA Today’s Mike Jones, who tweeted that some people close to the former San Francisco signal-caller didn’t know if he wants to play anymore. Florio, however, says he still works out five hours per day, six days a week in the hopes of landing another gig. Regardless which source is right, any time a team has a void under center, Kaepernick’s name will appear.
After all, filling in for an injured Smith was how he rose to prominence with the 49ers in 2012. In seven starts, the dual-threat passer led San Francisco to a 5-2 mark and then proceeded to power the team to the Super Bowl, where it fell to the Ravens, 34-31.
Though he wants to play, it remains to be seen if he will be given the chance.
Kaepernick, of course, has not played in the NFL since 2016, as clubs have shunned him following his national anthem demonstrations. While he was scheduled to work out for the Seahawks earlier this year, the audition was eventually canceled after Kaepernick declined to stop kneeling during the anthem.
Kaepernick alleges that owners from around the league colluded to keep him unsigned. The alleged collusion stems from his protest of social inequalities in the United States, which included kneeling for the national anthem.
At 6-4, the Redskins sit atop the NFC East heading into a pivotal Thanksgiving Day tilt with the second-place Cowboys. A loss will drop them into a tie for first place with Dallas.
Redskins To Work Out Mark Sanchez, Others
The Redskins are bringing in a group of quarterbacks to work out on Monday, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Mark Sanchez, E.J. Manuel, and T.J. Yates will show their stuff for Washington as they seek a new backup quarterback for new starting QB Colt McCoy. Kellen Clemens and Josh Johnson will also get a workout, as NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweets.
McCoy was thrust into the starting lineup when Smith suffered a broken tibia and fibia. This trio of prospective QBs is not the most exciting bunch, but the Redskins are hoping that none of the three veterans will have to see action.
McCoy has not attempted a pass since 2015, but he is considered one of the NFL’s better No. 2 signal callers. In recent years, the team has flirted with the idea of starting him, so they clearly have confidence in his ability.
On the plus side, all four veterans offer NFL experience. By the end of business on Monday, one of them will take a step closer to seeing live action.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/18/18
Today’s minor moves:
Kansas City Chiefs
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Gehrig Dieter
Washington Redskins
- Waived: WR Brian Quick
Redskins QB Alex Smith Breaks Tibia, Fibia
Redskins quarterback Alex Smith was carted off the field during today’s game against the Texans after suffering a gruesome leg injury. Following the contest, head coach Jay Gruden announced Smith broke his tibia and fibia and will require immediate surgery.
With Smith out for the rest of Sunday’s contest against the Texans (and presumably for the remainder of the year), Washington will turn to backup Colt McCoy, who has not attempted a pass since 2015. McCoy is considered one of the NFL’s better No. 2 quarterbacks, and the Redskins even considered deploying him as a starter in recent years, as Mike Florio of Pro football Talk tweets. But he does represent a downgrade from Smith and the 6-3 Redskins, who are currently leading the NFC East.
Smith, 34, posted the best campaign of his NFL career in 2017 as a member of the Chiefs before being shipped to the nation’s capital in exchange for a third-round pick and cornerback Kendall Fuller. Smith had reverted to his conservative ways in Washington, as his yards per attempt had dropped by more than a yard from 2017-18. Among the 26 quarterbacks with at least 250 attempts, Smith ranks 19th in adjusted net yards per attempt and 20th in passer rating.
Smith and McCoy are the only signal-callers on the Redskins’ roster, as the club traded third-stringer Kevin Hogan to the Broncos prior to the regular season. Washington doesn’t have a quarterback on its practice squad, either, so it could dip into a free agent market that includes Sam Bradford, Matt Moore, Mark Sanchez, Paxton Lynch, and Nathan Peterman as they aim to find a new backup.
Redskins To Activate RB Byron Marshall
Byron Marshall is set to return from the injured reserve. ESPN’s John Keim reports (via Twitter) that the Redskins are going to activate the running back, although a corresponding roster move wasn’t disclosed.
We learned in late October that the organization had designated Marshall to return from the IR. The 24-year-old suffered an ankle injury during the preseason, and after earning a spot on the Redskins’ initial 53-man roster, he was placed on the injured reserve. It’s telling that the organization is so eager to activate the running back, especially since Marshall has only been with the organization for a year.
The former undrafted free agent out of Oregon joined the Redskins last November after Washington signed him away from the Eagles’ practice squad. Marshall managed nine carries for 32 yards in four games with the Redskins in 2017, and also chipped in on 34 special teams plays. However, a hamstring injury ended his campaign in early December.
Despite battling through a variety of injuries at the position (Rob Kelley and second-round rookie Derrius Guice are also on the IR), the Redskins are still getting by at running back, and there isn’t a clear role for Marshall. Adrian Peterson and Chris Thompson sit atop the depth chart (although Thompson is set to miss this week’s contest), and the team is also rostering Kapri Bibbs and Samaje Perine. One of those latter two players could end up being cut to make space for Marshall.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/15/18
Today’s practice squad updates:
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: DL Aziz Shittu
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: CB Dee Delaney
- Released: LB Richard Jarvis
New York Giants
- Signed: S Kenny Ladler
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: S J.T. Gray
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: DT Cameron Malveaux
Washington Redskins
- Signed: C Casey Dunn
- Released: RB Mack Brown
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/14/18
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: CB Leonard Johnson
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: LB Tre’Von Johnson
New England Patriots
- Signed: LB Ramon Humber
Oakland Raiders
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Saeed Blacknall
Washington Redskins
- Waived: CB Joshua Holsey