WFT QB Trouble? Ailing Alex Or Helper Heinicke Vs. Bucs?

ASHBURN, Va. -- The Washington Football Team wrapped up the main part of an altered practice week on Thursday at the Inova Sports Performance Center as WFT prepares for Saturday night's Playoffs visit from Tampa Bay.

Quarterback Alex Smith was limited and is officially questionable for the game but head coach Ron Rivera, celebrating his birthday today, had a troublesome medical update on the planned starter.

Ron Rivera says Taylor Heinicke took "the bulk of the reps" and Alex Smith is "still a little bit sore." #WashingtonFootball
— Chris Russell AKA the 🐓🐓! (@Russellmania621) January 7, 2021

It's normal for players to be sore, even on a Thursday four days after a game, this late in the year. That's not the concern.

The problem is that if Smith is already compromised from the start on Saturday night ... it's likely only going to get worse quicker, assuming he still starts.

The concern I heard in Rivera's voice on Thursday allowed the possibility, and maybe it's even a strong one, that Taylor Heinicke might even start.

Rivera said Smith will be evaluated again on Friday so we might know more sooner than later. ... Last week, it wasn't really a major question that Smith would start.

He did and he performed well out of the chute. Then the calf began to bother him, which is understandable.

This week, Rivera said he might have to rotate quarterbacks Saturday night. By play? By series? We don't know and they might not know but they indicated they would have a plan.

If you're going to do that, you might not get "good Alex'' like you did at the start of last Sunday's win.

Clearly, they want and believe Smith is the best option to start but if by playing last Sunday night he's now at roughly 80% ... is Heinicke at 100% with more mobility not the better choice?

The closer we get to the game, it says here that he is.

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