Alex Smith's surgical team clears him for football activities

Washington Football Team quarterback Alex Smith told Stephania Bell of ESPN that he's received clearance from his surgical team to return to football activities.

Though Smith felt he was progressing physically in his rehab, he wanted to determine just how well his broken leg was healing.

"Everyone was in agreement that my bone was in a really good place," Smith said. "I had healed a lot. They said that given the combination of the rod and where I was with the healing process, I had zero limitations and could even resume some football activities.

"To hear them say that, from a life standpoint, they wouldn't restrict me from doing anything - I could go skiing or snowboarding tomorrow if I wanted - then on top of that, to get the green light that I could practice, get contact, that I had healed up, that much was pretty wild to hear. I didn't know if I would ever hear those words."

Smith expects to report to Washington's facility Monday. He'll then undergo a team physical.

After receiving his surgical team's approval, the 36-year-old now wants to prove to himself that he's ready for the next step in his attempt to return to football.

"For me, all eyes are on practice," he said. "That's the next step. I have to go prove to myself, and certainly to everybody else, that I can go practice."

The signal-caller broke his leg against the Houston Texans in November 2018. He also suffered an infection that could've resulted in a leg amputation.

Smith, who's signed through 2022, completed 62.5% of his pass attempts for 2,180 yards and 10 touchdowns against five interceptions in his first year with Washington before suffering the injury. He made two straight Pro Bowl appearances in 2016 and 2017.