The Washington Football Team is entering the third week of practice ahead of Thursday’s preseason opener at the New England Patriots. One of Washington’s biggest free agent additions, wide receiver Curtis Samuel, has not practice since the start of training camp three weeks ago.
Samuel has been hampered by a groin injury that showed up during OTAs in late May. The injury forced him to miss mandatory mini-camp as well. So, Washington placed him on the PUP list. He’s also been on the reserved/COVID-19 list further complicating matters for him.
Washington head coach Ron Rivera gave an update on Samuel following Sunday’s practice. Rivera said there is “no timetable” for Samuel to return. But, he doesn’t sound too concern.
“There’s no timetable for Curtis,” Rivera said per Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post. “He’s been in the system. He knows it. Yeah you’d love him to catch a few reps maybe in the last preseason game, but we’re not going to rush him out there.”
Based on Rivera’s wording, Washington is shooting for the third and final perseason game for Samuel to get real-game preparation before the regular season. That should be concerning for a free agent expected to be the second wide receiver option.
“But we’re going to ease him back into it because, again, he knows the system,” Rivera added. “He’ll pick it up again very,very quickly and it’ll really be about him building a rapport with the quarterbacks.”
Samuel has familarity with Washington’s system. He spent the first three seasons of his NFL career playing for Rivera and offensive coordinator Scott Turner with the Carolina Panthers.
Samuel’s familarity will allow Washington to ease him back on the field whenever he is cleared from COVID-19 protocols as well as being activated from the PUP list.
The fact Washington is eyeing the final preseason game to get him on the field, laminates the thoughts of this groin injury possibly being a hindrance even into the start of the regular season.
