Dwayne Haskins Jr. Praises Alex Smith for Return, Calls Him 'Big Brother Mentor'

Alex Smith's return to the Washington Football Team made a big impression on second-year quarterback Dwayne Haskins Jr.

Per Lia Assimakopoulos of NBC4 Washington, Haskins called Smith's comeback "remarkable" and praised him as a "big brother mentor."

"For him to get out there and just throw a pass is something remarkable, so for him to go out there and do nine-on-nine, run around a little bit, throw a pass on the run and make some things happen, it's super exciting for me, just watching him be that big brother mentor role for me throughout my career here in Washington," Haskins said.

After receiving clearance from his surgical team for football activity in July, Smith was activated from the physically unable to perform list Aug. 16.

Two days later, Smith practiced in full pads for the first time since suffering a spiral and compound fracture to his tibia and fibula during a game against the Houston Texans on Nov. 18, 2018.

Elizabeth Smith, Alex's wife, told ESPN's Stephania Bell that Alex underwent 17 surgeries in nine months as doctors worked to save his leg after he developed necrotizing fasciitis.

Washington head coach Ron Rivera told reporters Smith's participation in Saturday's 11-on-11 practice was "a very big step" in his comeback effort.

Rivera has said he will give Smith a chance to compete with Haskins and Kyle Allen in Washington's quarterback competition.

Smith led Washington to a 6-4 record in 10 starts in 2018. The three-time Pro Bowler threw for 2,180 yards and 10 touchdowns with five interceptions and completed 62.5 percent of his passes that season.