Washington quarterback Alex Smith is reportedly dealing with an infection following surgery on the broken fibula and tibia he suffered during a Nov. 18 loss to the Houston Texans.

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported the news, noting "it's premature to say what this means for his playing future. But it is being handled with care and dealt with seriously by doctors."

He provided more context to the situation:

Washington released a statement Thursday in which the team expressed appreciation for those concerned with Smith and asked for the quarterback's privacy:

Rapoport's update comes after Burgundy Blog cited a source who said Smith is still in the hospital and may need "partial reconstruction" surgery. Eric Bickel of 106.7 The Fan also reported the Utah product had multiple surgeries due to the infection, putting the chances of him returning to the field "in real jeopardy."

Washington is dealing with multiple injuries on the quarterback front, as ESPN's Lisa Salters reported during the Monday night broadcast of the team's loss to the Philadelphia Eagles that Colt McCoy suffered a season-ending fractured right fibula.

The NFC East franchise turned to Mark Sanchez after McCoy's injury, and John Keim of ESPN reported it signed Josh Jackson to add depth.

Smith's injury came on a gruesome play that saw his leg turn the wrong way when he was sacked by Houston's Kareem Jackson and J.J. Watt. 

"When you have an injury like that, it's more heartbreaking than it is physical," Washington head coach Jay Gruden told reporters after the setback. "Just breaks your heart because this is what he loves to do. He loves to lead this team, he loves to be with his guys and now the season is over, and he has a long way back."