Smith sustained the injury after being fired in November 2018 against the Houston Texans and has undergone 17 surgeries after suffering a spiral and compound fracture to his right tibia and fibula.
But the 36-year-old was removed last week from the physical inability to perform on the NFL (PUP) list and is headed for a return to the field.
“I still have dreams of going back to where I was and getting back there,” Smith told the Washington Football website.
“This has obviously been a crazy ride with a lot of unforeseen bends, but without a doubt that’s still my goal.”
Smith’s recovery from injury was documented in “Project 11,” an hour-long program that aired on ESPN earlier this year.
His family carried the news of his return to training on Saturday by diving him into champagne when he returned home.
“Hard work pays off! Lots to celebrate in Smith’s house tonight,” Smith’s wife Elizabeth posted on Instagram.
Smith, who played for the Kansas City Chiefs before joining Washington in 2018, will now compete against Dwayne Haskins and Kyle Allen to become the first-choice quarterback.
“We notice that he is getting stronger and stronger, his movements are all coming back,” Washington head coach Ron Rivera said on August 10.
“But again, we do not want to put him on the field and expose him until the right opportunity comes. We try to be smart. We try to be active in this situation because of Alex’s circumstances.
“He has been great at the moment and we expect him to continue to develop and grow. If the moment is right, we will make our decision at the appropriate time.”
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