Terry McLaurin runs to the side field, while Taylor Heinicke is taking first-team snaps. No helmet on for Smith
— Matthew Paras (@Matthew_Paras) January 6, 2021
Terry McLaurin is working off to the side with trainers as is Antonio Gibson
— John Keim (@john_keim) January 6, 2021
It was backup QB Taylor Heinicke who was taking the first-team reps in Washington’s practice on Wednesday, while Alex Smith was off to the side with a stocking cap on and not participating in team drills. This may not be ideal, but it is not a reason to sound the alarm bells, as it goes along with what we saw from Washington last week when Smith did end up starting.
Earlier in the week, coach Ron Rivera stated that there was a possibility that he would rotate both quarterbacks in the game, so it makes complete sense to give Heinicke a lot of practice time so he can feel more comfortable. We know that with Smith being a veteran, and also based on comments from Rivera in the past, there is complete comfort that he could play on the weekend even without getting reps in practice leading up to the game. We will learn more about Smith’s availability for Saturday’s game later in the week, but at this point, there is nothing out of the ordinary.
Elsewhere on the practice field, both WR Terry McLaurin and RB Antonio Gibson were present, though they remained off to the side working with trainers. McLaurin was seen doing some hurdling drills, which sounds positive when you consider the high-ankle sprain he has been dealing with, and Gibson looked good in action last week against the Eagles. At this point, there is little reason anyone should doubt their availability this weekend against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
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