Alex Smith has been released from the hospital with an encourage prognosis after multiple surgeries on his broken leg.

There is some level of optimism that Smith may be able to return to the NFL.

The priority for now is simply recovering from a spiral leg fracture that became infected after multiple surgeries.

If Smith were unable to play, Washington would have to eat $20.4 million worth of salary-cap space next season and $21.4 million in 2020.

A financial scenario such as this would place Washington back into the same position they were in during the 2012 season when they were docked $36 million worth of cap space for illegally structuring contracts in 2010.