The Washington Redskins came into the 2018 NFL season with optimism. However, they ended up disappointing, only going 7-9 on the season and finishing third in the NFC East Division.
The Redskins were in first place in the NFC East when Alex Smith broke his right leg. It happened during the third quarter of a home game against the Houston Texans, and Smith was hurried to the hospital for emergency surgery on his fibula and tibia.
Smith was then replaced by very subpar players. Colt McCoy got hurt, Mark Sanchez was just terrible, and then they signed Josh Johnson practically off the street. The fact that they even won some games is remarkable. Their lack of talent under center showed and is a huge reason why they didn’t make a playoff run.
Smith signed a huge four-year, $94 million contract extension with the Redskins this past year. Smith is on par to make around $42 million in guaranteed money over the next two seasons and is still a huge financial commitment.
Overall, the team didn’t play terribly. They only allowed 22.4 points per game, which ranked 15th overall in the entire league. Had their offense been adequate, the Redskins may have made a playoff run.
Coming into next season, the Redskins have a lot of question marks. Here are some of the most important questions that they need to answer moving forward.
3. What’s the future of Alex Smith?
Smith’s recovery time remains to be unclear.
At this point, the entire 2019 season could be in jeopardy for him. Smith needed additional surgery after his first surgery left him infected, needing another invasive surgery. Those six weeks of bone restricted adds to the original 6-9 month recovery timeline.
At this point, he won’t be fully recovered when the season begins. He’ll likely just be getting back into football shape, and the team isn’t rushing his return.
It’s more likely that he could miss the season entirely, or come back in the later weeks.
2. Who will be his replacement under center?
The Redksins have a few options to go with here.
They could acquire a veteran quarterback in free agency. This is the most viable option, especially with names like Ryan Fitzpatrick, Teddy Bridgewater, and Nick Foles highlighting the free agency class.
Washington also has the option to trade for a backup like Case Keemun of the Denver Broncos.
They could also expend their first round pick and take someone like Daniel Jones of Duke. However, it’s more likely that they look to acquire a free agent on a short term and budget-friendly deal.
1. Can they be a playoff contending team?
The Redskins have the talent to be a playoff contending team.
Their entire performance relies on when Smith will come back, or if his replacement will be effective enough to help them win games.
Cornerback Josh Norman told the media that he believes that the Redskins could’ve gone deep into the postseason had Smith been healthy.
Revisionist history is nice and all, but the team has a long road ahead of them if they are to even win their division.
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