Tuesday 25 June 2019 18:23, UK
Washington Redskins quarterback Alex Smith said "learning to run again" is one of the biggest hurdles he faces during his ongoing recovery from a devastating leg injury.
Making his first public comments since suffering a compound fracture in his right leg in November, the 35-year-old told a Fox 5 DC reporter he has not given up hope of playing again.
"That's the plan," Smith told Angie Goff on her Oh My Goff podcast. "There are steps I've got to conquer before I get there. Learning to run again. That's a big one. I'm already throwing. Throwing isn't a problem, but dropping, moving around, change of direction [is more difficult]."
Smith said he still has to wear an external fixator on his leg for another four to six weeks.
"The steps I'm at now are lifestyle steps," he said. "I'm still working on playing basketball with my kids and running around after my daughter.
"Those are things I have to conquer anyway until I get to the point where I'm walking on the field. I'm looking forward to it. I'm excited about that challenge.
"The stronger I get every week, the more I do, the more hopeful I am that that's a real possibility."
Smith suffered compound and spiral fractures to his tibia and fibula in a Week 11 loss to the Houston Texans and underwent surgery on November 18 of last year.
He then battled a subsequent infection and remained hospitalised until December 16.
The Redskins acquired Smith from Kansas City before the 2018 season. He signed a four-year contract extension that put him under contract for five years and $111m. It included $71m in injury guarantees.
Washington has not settled on a starter for 2019. The Redskins acquired veteran Case Keenum in a trade with Denver in March and drafted Ohio State's Dwayne Haskins in the first round in April. Colt McCoy is recovering from his own leg injury, but is expected to join the position battle in training camp.
