Redskins QB Alex Smith Suffers Nearly Same Injury As Joe Theismann Exactly 33 Years Later
Washington Redskins quarterback Alex Smith was injured in the third quarter of Sunday's 23-21 loss to the Houston Texans when defensive end J.J. Watt and Kareem Jackson combined to sack him. In the process, Smith's ankle got pinned underneath him and he broke both the tibia and fibula in his right leg.
The freak injury is nearly the exact same one that former Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann suffered, ending his career.
Alex's leg is exactly like mine 33 yrs ago
— Joe Theismann (@Theismann7) November 18, 2018
In an even more eerie twist of fate, Smith's injury occurred on the same day exactly 33 years after Theismann's. On top of that, Theismann was in attendance for Sunday's game at FedEx Field. The former quarterback spoke to ESPN after Smith's injury saying that it was an "eerie moment" for him.
"It was surreal. You see him go down in a pile and then there's a shot that showed his leg bent and I turned away right after that," Theismann told ESPN. "I feel so bad for him."
It's unclear what the timetable for recovery is for the 34-year-old Smith, but his season is over. His backup, Colt McCoy will take over as the team prepares to face their division rival, the Dallas Cowboys, on Thanksgiving in Dallas.