The never-ending quarterback carousel has continued to churn this week in Washington, with the news that Dwayne Haskins would be benched for Kyle Allen, and veteran Alex Smith would step up into the QB2 position for the time being.
While it’s worth noting that Haskins was demoted from the top-spot all the way down to the inactive list, some questions have been brought up as to why this is. On Thursday when talking to the media, head coach Ron Rivera stated that he is expecting to see some immediate production from Allen, who will be judged on a game-by-game basis as far as his starting job goes.
Ron Rivera says it will be a game by game evaluation for QB Kyle Allen. Sounds to me like he better hit the ground running
— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) October 8, 2020
So what happens if Allen struggles right out of the gate? It’s a fair question to ask, seeing as he has had very limited reps with the starters in Washington, and it’s been a little less than a year since he played any meaningful football. Will Washington be quick to pull the ripcord on him as well, going to Smith as the QB1?
On Alex Smith. If the new approach is about trying to win now, I asked why not go with Smith over Allen. Rivera said Smith needs the practice reps, but reiterates he would no issue playing the vet if needed.
— Ben Standig (@BenStandig) October 8, 2020
Is it possible that we’re looking at the promotion of Kyle Allen all wrong, and he is merely a stop-gap to give Smith some time to get the reps that he needs in practice, preparing him to get back out onto the field? Seems unlikely, but of course it’s possible.
While nearly every fan in Washington has major trepidations about watching Smith trot back onto the field after watching him suffer one of the more brutal sporting injuries we’ve ever seen, the coaching and medical staff in Washington seems confident in his health and ability to play the game at a high-level once again. Rivera has stated repeatedly that he wouldn’t be putting Smith out there unless the doctors assured him it was a safe decision.
For anyone who thought that they’d never see Smith take the field again, you may want to prepare yourself for that situation. It’s closer now than it ever has been, and with the way things are going in Washington, it certainly wouldn’t be the most shocking development.
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