ASHBURN, Virginia — Washington wide receiver Curtis Samuel will make his season debut Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons, barring an unexpected setback in his recovery from a groin injury, coach Ron Rivera said Friday.
Samuel has been on injured reserve since Sept. 10 and missed the first three games of the season, but returned to practice this week. Washington has 21 days to activate him off injured reserve, though Rivera seemed pleased with the wideout’s progress and indicated he should be good to go.
The 25-year-old has dealt with a nagging groin injury over the past few months — missing OTAs in June and almost all of training camp. He returned to practice just before the regular season, only to appear to re-aggravate the injury again.
On Friday, Samuel participated in his third straight practice — his longest stretch since signing with Washington in March.
“He’ll be active,” Rivera said of Samuel. “He’ll be ready to roll.”
Washington must activate Samuel from injured reserve to the 53-man roster as a procedural move before Sunday’s game to play. Because Washington’s roster stands at only 52 players, the team will not have to cut someone to make room for him.
Samuel’s return should boost an offense in desperate need of a jolt. Signed to a three-year, $34.5 million contract in the offseason, he is known for his speed and ability to stretch the field. Rivera and offensive coordinator Scott Turner are more than familiar with Samuel’s skill set, having coached him in Carolina.
The former Panthers receiver is coming off a 2020 season in which he caught a career-high 77 passes for 851 yards.
“It feels great to be back,” Samuel said. “To be back out there with your teammates, it feels great. I’m just excited about going forward and just being able to stay healthy and being out there with those guys and just getting that chemistry going.”
Rivera said the team will “sprinkle in” Samuel in Atlanta, suggesting the wide receiver could have a limited amount of snaps.
“It’s not like we went in expecting him to play 65 plays,” Rivera said. “We’ve got to be smart about it.”
• Matthew Paras can be reached at mparas@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.