Commanders WR Curtis Samuel: Bounce-Back Season Coming?

Samuel sat on the sidelines for most of his first season in Washington, but there's hope that won't be the case in 2022.

When the Washington Commanders signed Curtis Samuel to a three-year, $34.5 million contract in 2021, there was optimism that he would play a key role in the offense.

But in his first season with Washington, Samuel struggled to stay healthy and find the field. He played in just five games last season due to injury and spent a good chunk of the offseason rehabbing.

However, Samuel has looked healthy in recent weeks and was able to play in Saturday's preseason opener against his former team, the Carolina Panthers. In the game, he caught a pair of passes for 14 yards, including Carson Wentz's first completion as a Commander.

“It was good to see Curtis out there," coach Ron Rivera said. "Again, we’re going to continue with the plan. We have a formula with the doctors and trainers have put together, ramping him up getting him geared up, ramping him down making sure we’re taking care of him. Again, with the ball you can see how dynamic he can be."

First and foremost, the "plan" Rivera alludes to is to have Samuel healthy, but once he's fully capable of that, he's set to play a key role in the offense alongside Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson. Seeing him on the field for the first preseason game is a move in the right direction.

“He looks great," Carson Wentz said after Saturday's game. "He’s explosive and everyone knows that he’s dynamic with the ball in his hands and I thought he looked good today." 

Wentz is excited to play with people like McLaurin and Samuel because of their explosiveness, something majority of his receivers have lacked in previous stops with the Philadelphia Eagles and Indianapolis Colts.

"I’ll see the tape, but I’ve seen it in camp," Wentz said. "I’ve seen how he is and how quick twitch he is and how explosive he is with the ball in his hands, so that’s good for him to get out here and it’s good for me to feel that and start developing that chemistry in game but not just him, with all of them.”

Samuel will get another chance to showcase his talents for the Commanders Saturday afternoon when the team takes on the Kansas City Chiefs.