Alex Smith has leg brace removed eight months after injury

Alex Smith took a step toward recovering from his catastrophic leg injury with the removal of a brace on Monday.

Smith’s wife posted a picture to Instagram of the Washington Redskins quarterback holding up his complex leg brace, adding in a caption that it was a “big milestone” in his recovery.

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The last 8 months have been nothing short of crazy. Although it’s not over, today is a big milestone. We are shedding the weight Alex has been carrying (literally and figuratively). It’s one step closer to the goal. The resilience, determination and mental fortitude of this man is unmatched.

A post shared by Elizabeth Smith (@lizbsmith11) on Jul 15, 2019 at 9:58am PDT

The next step in Smith’s rehab is unclear. He has previously said that he is essentially having to relearn how to use his leg to run and move, which is a major obstacle for an NFL quarterback.

Smith suffered the gruesome leg injury last Nov. 18. He is hopeful of playing again, though almost certainly not in 2019, and his coach sounds optimistic that he will. He has a long way to go, though, and no guarantees.