Samuel (groin) is scheduled for a return to full-team work at Monday's practice, Peter Hailey of NBC4 Washington reports.
Samuel has been limited to individual drills since his removal from the PUP list Aug. 15, but coach Ron Rivera said Thursday that he's highly confident the wideout will play Week 1 against the Chargers. A return to practice Monday would be a big step forward, with Samuel's absence now stretching to three months. Rivera said Samuel will either be cleared for his full workload or held out entirely, rather than being eased into action the first few weeks. Granted, Rivera's statements aren't necessarily reliable, so practice reports next week will still be a handy tool.