Curtis Samuel lacks ‘overall football conditioning’ as Commanders put him on ramp up plan

ASHBURN —  On Friday, Curtis Samuel insisted that he was 100% healthy. So naturally, the Commanders wide receiver hasn’t practiced since. 

Coach Ron Rivera said Monday the team has concerns about the oft-injured receiver’s “overall football conditioning and shape,” adding the 25-year-old is dealing with hamstring and lower back soreness as Washington enters its second week of training camp. 

The Commanders, Rivera said, have since formulated a plan to work Samuel back into the fold. But Monday’s revelation was the latest setback for Samuel after he missed all but five games last season with nagging groin and hamstring injuries.  The wideout, of course, joined Washington on a three-year, $34.5 million contract in 2021. 

“What will happen is you’ll see there will be ramp ups,” Rivera said. “And they’ll slow it back down. There will be ramp ups. There will be times when he’s interacting, getting some 11-on-11 work, stuff like that. It’s all part of the plan, with the ultimate goal is really the regular season more so than anything else.  

“This has nothing to do with last year’s groin injury or anything like that. This is just about the plan for him specifically.”

Rivera said Samuel met with trainer Al Bellamy to review the plan on Sunday, a scheduled off day from practice.  

The Commanders hired Bellamy to be their new head athletic trainer in April following a chaotic 2021 season that saw Bellamy’s predecessor, Ryan Vermillion, placed on administrative leave because of an active Drug Enforcement Administration investigation. Vermillion has not been charged with a crime. 

In camp, Samuel practiced in full for only two days before Washington began to scale back his workload. The former 2017 second-rounder, who Rivera coached in Carolina, was limited to individual drills on Friday and did not practice Saturday or Monday. 

In the spring, Samuel also only participated in three of the six offseason workouts made available to reporters. 

When he has practiced, Samuel has looked better than he did last year. In Thursday’s session, the wide receiver made an impressive start-and-stop cut to juke out slot cornerback Benjamin St-Juste. 

“I’m flying around out there and I’m able to do stuff that I used to do,” Samuel said Friday. “So, I’m excited about that.” 

Earlier in the offseason, Samuel detailed the lengths he went to in order to feel like himself again. He credited the workouts he did in Miami as his trainer “pushed me to the limits,” so that he could trust his body again. Those sessions involved having the wideout focus on different cuts — sharp cuts — and different jumps, Samuel said.

After all, Samuel’s groin injury was extensive last year — more severe than the team initially let on. It wasn’t until November that reports emerged that Samuel actually underwent surgery to address the issue months earlier. Neither Rivera nor Samuel chose not to publicly disclose the procedure as Samuel missed training camp and the first three weeks.

When Samuel made his season debut in Week 4, the Ohio State product didn’t last long. He appeared in just two games — including only five snaps in Week 5 — before missing the next five contests. Rivera said then that Samuel had exceeded his pre-planned snap count in Atlanta and further aggravated the groin injury. 

Samuel then returned on a strict pitch count in late November — appearing in three straight games until he suffered a season-ending hamstring injury. In all, Samuel had six catches for 27 yards. 

“At one point I felt like I feel good and the next minute I don’t feel good,” Samuel said last week. “So, it was just so confusing.”

If Samuel doesn’t have a productive year, Washington can easily move on. According to Over The Cap, the Commanders would save $5.8 million if they choose to cut Samuel after this season. The move would also leave $7.2 million on the books as Washington has already paid Samuel’s signing bonus. 

The goal, of course, is for Washington to not reach that point. The Commanders’ coaching staff hopes that Samuel is part of a versatile passing attack alongside weapons like Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson. 

But for that to happen, Samuel has to stay healthy.

“You can train all you want,” Rivera said. “You can condition all you want, but coming back and doing some of the things we want him to do, we’ve got to be smart with it. Al and his guys have a plan. And so with Curtis we’re going to stick to the plan.”