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ASHBURN, Va .– The Washington football team are expected to activate wide receiver Curtis Samuel off the injured reserve, allowing him to play against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.
Samuel missed the first three games with a groin injury that has been causing him problems since late spring. This week was the first time Samuel had trained for three consecutive days since that time.
Washington coach Ron Rivera has said Samuel will play until he wakes up Sunday with groin pain after a week of work.
“We’re going to sprinkle it,” Rivera said. “There are some things he did that I really enjoyed seeing today… It’s not like we expected him to come out and play 65 games. we have to be smart. “
Samuel’s return would give a boost to an attack requiring big plays. Washington ranks 26th for plays of 10 or more yards and 27th for plays of 20 or more yards. When Washington signed Samuel, he considered using him in a variety of ways – both inside and outside as a receiver and occasionally fielding him in the backfield. Everything he did last season in Carolina.
Washington signed him to a three-year contract worth up to $ 34.5 million, knowing he could deliver big games but also create openings for others. Receiver Terry McLaurin had a team-high 19 catches for 231 yards and a touchdown. But no other outside receiver has helped much. Rookie Dyami Brown caught four passes for 32 yards, while Cam Sims had two for 32. Receiver Adam Humphries caught 10 passes for 61 yards.
“People have to consider him whether or not he gets the ball when he goes vertical with his speed,” Rivera said of Samuel. “There is so much that he brings to the table that will help us and can help us if we can use it.”
Samuel trained one day in early August, but after a day of rain that drenched the pitch, Washington put him aside, limiting him to agility drills on side pitch. The team wanted him to strengthen his fitness as well after missing so much time because of his groin. He also missed 10 days while on the reserve / Covid-19 list at the start of training camp, adding to the team’s desire to increase their conditioning work.
On September 8, Samuel took part in his first full training of the year, but a day later he changed his groin and Washington quickly put him on the injured list.
“It’s great to be back,” Samuel said through a team spokesperson. “I’m just excited to move on and be able to stay healthy.”
His teammates are too.
“I’m really excited to see him come back into high gear and help us offensively,” said McLaurin, who played with Samuel at Ohio State. “Obviously that’s why we brought him here. He can be a big part of our attack.”
Antonio Gibson is questionable for Sunday with a shin injury. He was limited to practice on Friday, but he was expected to play.
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