Washington signs RB Wendell Smallwood to practice squad

Smallwood spent last season on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ practice squad, appearing in one game. Before that, he played three seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles and one season with the Washington Football Team.

In 2019, he appeared in 15 games for Washington. He rushed for 81 yards on 22 carries while pulling in nine catches for 64 yards.

Swapping out practice squad running backs isn’t usually headlines. But, Antonio Gibson has struggled with a stress fracture in his shin. He’s continued to play through the injury, but has been limited to 10.7 carries and 43 yards the last three games.

Washington has JD McKissic and undrafted rookie Jaret Patterson. But as long as Gibson is ailing, the run game could be hampered as they come out of the bye in Week 9.