Colt McCoy could enter 2019 season as Redskins starting QB

The Washington Redskins are searching for a solution at the quarterback position with Alex Smith looking more and more likely to miss the entire 2019 season — or are they?

According to ESPN’s John Keim, there are people within the Redskins organization who would have been comfortable entering each of the past two seasons with Colt McCoy as their starting quarterback. The team ended up keeping Kirk Cousins around on a second franchise tag in 2017, and they acquired Alex Smith in a trade last offseason. Assuming those feelings still exist, McCoy could finally get his shot next season.

In addition to some team officials supporting McCoy privately, head coach Jay Gruden has praised him in the media. Gruden said this week that he “could be really ignorant” but has watched McCoy for long enough to know what he is capable of. He also noted how his style of play resulted in the former Texas star getting injured the previous two times he had opportunities to start.

“He’s got to slow down the process, which he will. But I have total confidence,” Gruden said. “He’s got a great knowledge of the system, he’s comfortable with the guys we have, he’s a great leader, he’s a competitor. He can run, he can move and he can make all the throws. But he’s been hurt and he hasn’t done it.”

McCoy has been with the Redskins since 2014. There are very few people who think he is capable of making Washington a contending team, and the latest reports about Smith do not sound promising. If Washington chooses to draft a quarterback and go with McCoy as the starter entering 2019, it will be tough to convince fans it is anything more than a bridge season.