Washington QB Alex Smith on pace to start vs. Eagles

The Washington Football Team knows that it will win the NFC East title with a victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in Sunday night's regular-season finale or miss the playoffs entirely with a loss. 

Washington may have its starting quarterback in the lineup for that outing. 

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and others confirmed that signal-caller and Comeback Player of the Year candidate Alex Smith was back on the practice field and taking first-team reps on Thursday as he works to return from the calf strain that kept him out of the past two games, contests Washington dropped.

Smith sat out of practice on Wednesday as previously planned. 

2019 first-round pick Dwayne Haskins and unproven commodity Taylor Heinicke both saw action during Smith's absences, with Heinicke replacing the benched Haskins during last Sunday's defeat to the Carolina Panthers. Following that game, reports emerged that head coach Ron Rivera intended to relegate Haskins to the bottom of the depth chart for the second time this season and start Heinicke against Philadelphia if Smith can't go on Sunday evening. 

Rivera eliminated Haskins from the equation, however, when Washington released the 23-year-old. Haskins ultimately went unclaimed on waivers and is now a free agent. 

While it's still early into game-day preparations, The Athletic's Rhiannon Walker shared a few promising videos of Smith's recovery from his latest setback: