Washington QB Alex Smith set to be activated from PUP roster on Sunday

Another encouraging development took place in Alex Smith’s story.

The Washington quarterback is expected to be activated on Sunday from the physically unable to play roster, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported on Saturday evening, according to a source with information on the situation.

The move allows him to participate in football drills for the first time since returning from the catastrophic leg injury he suffered in November 2018.

JP Finlay of NBC Sports Washington first reported the news.

After enduring an intense and long period of rehabilitation, things have progressed fairly quickly for Smith since the end of last month.

The 36-year-old was cleared by his medics to resume soccer activity just before training camp began on July 24. After undergoing team physical training on July 27, Smith started camp on the active / PUP roster.

In the weeks that followed, Washington coach Ron Rivera repeatedly said Smith would be in the mix as long as he was healthy. Saturday’s update means that this remarkable scenario may soon become a reality.

Second-year quarterback Dwayne Haskins said last Tuesday he was “excited” for Smith as he neared full strength and viewed him as a mentor. The 2019 first round also raised the possibility of the two arguing over reps at camp, saying that if that happens he “tries to make him improve me, and I do it better.”

There are still several dominoes that should fall for him to see the action of the game again, but Smith joining the team on the training ground is an extremely important step in that process.

Football aspirations aside, this moment of triumph, which was commemorated in an Instagram post shared by his wife Elizabeth, marks a major milestone for Smith and his family.