ASHBURN, Va. — Curtis Samuel missed practice Wednesday with the groin injury that has bothered him for months, a setback that puts the wide receiver’s availability for Washington’s season opener against the Los Angeles Chargers in doubt.
Labor Day was Samuel’s first practice since training camp began. He was on the field for the start of Washington’s latest workout, but was listed as “did not practice” on the mandatory injury report.
Coach Ron Rivera said he and his staff will continue monitoring Samuel’s health and see how he feels Thursday. Samuel was already a major question mark when the coaching staff eased him back in with limited practice snaps.
“If Curtis plays, great, and if he doesn’t, great because we’ve got a lot of confidence in the other guys,” Rivera said.
Samuel, 30, has dealt with the groin injury since offseason workouts and also missed time in camp while on the NFL’s COVID-19 list. Washington signed Samuel to a three-year contract worth $34.5 million in the hopes that he’d add a dynamic element to an offense that struggled last season.
If Samuel does not play Sunday against the Chargers, rookie Dyami Brown, free agent addition Adam Humphries and mainstay Cam Sims figure to have bigger roles, along with top receiver Terry McLaurin.
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