Coach Ron Rivera noted Sunday that it's unclear when Samuel (reserve/COVID-19 and groin injury) will return to action, Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post reports. "There's no timetable for Curtis," Rivera said of the wideout. "He's been in the system, he knows it. Yeah, you'd love for him to catch a few reps maybe in the last preseason game, but we're not going to rush him out there."
Samuel, who was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list July 29, is also bouncing back from a groin injury. With both issues in mind, the team plans to proceed deliberately with the wideout, who was signed by Washington this offseason to a three-year, $34.5 million contract, with the intention of pairing him with rising star Terry McLaurin. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Samuel is expected to come off the COVID-19 list this week but remains without a return timeline due to the groin issue. Based on Rivera's comments, it can be assumed for now that Samuel won't see action in either of the team's first two preseason contests.