Redskins QB Alex Smith Leaves Game With Gruesome Leg Injury

Alex Smith leaves the game against the Texans with an apparent broken leg.

Quarterback Alex Smith #11 of the Washington Redskins addresses the media
Getty

Image via Getty/Don Juan Moore

Quarterback Alex Smith #11 of the Washington Redskins addresses the media

Redskins quarterback Alex Smith left Sunday's (Nov. 18) game against the Houston Texans on a stretcher after suffering a gruesome leg injury. 

Midway through the third quarter, Alex Smith dropped back in the pocket to attempt to convert a third-and-nine scenario. However, the Redskins pass protection was quickly breached by the blitz from Houston and two of the NFL's best pass rushers, J.J. Watt and Kareem Jackson, converged on Smith, sacking him for a big loss. While this seems that a routine football play, what happened during the sack resulted in a career-changing moment for the veteran quarterback. 

*GRAPHIC INJURY ALERT*
Joe Theismann flashbacks in Washington right now as Alex Smith gets carted off with what looks like apparent broken leg. @Theismann7pic.twitter.com/FHEwahU75R

— IB THE GAMBLER 🔌 (@incarceratedbob) November 18, 2018

LOOK AWAY IF YOU ARE SQUEAMISH.

Alex Smith ends up with an obvious compound fracture of his ankle/lower leg after a sack, and his year will be over.#Redskins pic.twitter.com/wslG8zEt6p

— Chad Ryan (@ChadwikoTWW) November 18, 2018

What can be gathered from the video is that Smith's leg was broken severely, yet after being taken off the field it was reported that Smith broke his both tibia and fibula and was taken into to immediate surgery.

The bad news the #Redskins were dreading: QB Alex Smith will have surgery right away on a broken tibia and fibula. A stellar season is over.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 18, 2018

BREAKING: Redskins QB Alex Smith broke his tibia and fibula and will need immediate surgery, per @davidaldridgedc.

— LeadingNFL (@LeadingNFL) November 18, 2018

While the break is ghastly enough, what makes the injury even eerier is that is it happened on the 33rd anniversary of the play shattered Joe Theismann's leg and ended the career of Redskins' quarterback.

Alex’s leg is exactly like mine 33 yrs ago

— Joe Theismann (@Theismann7) November 18, 2018

I feel so bad for him.

— Joe Theismann (@Theismann7) November 18, 2018

While concussions have been the media's main focus when discussing the NFL's rule changes, preventing the types of injuries sustained by Smith and Theismann are also a point of emphasis for the league. It will be of interest to all football lovers to follow this injury closely as it may have a dramatic impact on the future of the game. 

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