5 players Commanders will be thrilled to have back on the field in 2022

2. Curtis Samuel

You know a season went poorly for a big free agent signing when there’s only a handful of professional-looking of pictures of them from their first season with their new team. That’s exactly the case with Curtis Samuel, whom Washington signed to a three-year, $34.5 million contract last offseason.

At the surface, Samuel playing in five games after signing a deal worth over $20 million guaranteed is a disaster When you realize the speedy wideout never tallied more than 30 offensive snaps in any of them, though, it paints an entirely different picture of what Samuel’s season looked like.

When all was said and done, Samuel played 84 offensive snaps and contributed 38 scrimmage yards on 10 touches.

It was the season from hell, as Samuel dealt with a nagging groin injury that had pestered him since offseason workouts before he tweaked his hamstring and sat out the final month after he had just returned to the lineup from Weeks 12-14.

Now, Samuel faces a make-or-break season in 2022. That’s a scary thought for both parties, but the talent is there as the 25-year-old is two years removed from totaling 1,051 scrimmage yards and five touchdowns with the Panthers.

Given he played so little and is one of the most dynamic receivers in the league when healthy, getting Samuel back will almost feel like a new signing for Washington.