4 Commanders players primed to have career seasons in 2022
By Jerry Trotta
The Washington Commanders aren’t close to competing for a championship, but the organization is reaching a point with this core of players where it has to start producing winning seasons and making the playoffs every year.
The hope is the arrival of Carson Wentz, the team’s most talented quarterback since Kirk Cousins, will help Washington reach that milestone, for lack of a better term, as the position has put a hard cap on the club’s ceiling in years past.
With several of their first-round investments entering their third and fourth seasons, it’s go-time for the Commanders. Simply put, the roster is stacked with talent at nearly every position, so it should be competitive in most games.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at five Commanders players who are smack in the middle of their primes and ready to turn in career seasons in 2022.
4 Commanders primed to have career seasons in 2022
4. Curtis Samuel
Samuel was a colossal disappointment in 2021 after he signed a three-year, $35.4 million contract with Washington. When the dust settled, groin and hamstring injuries limited the talented receiver to five games and less than 100 snaps.
Having made it through the offseason program unscathed, though his workload was managed, Samuel will seemingly be all systems go for training camp. That’s hugely promising for Carson Wentz and the Commanders’ offense, as the 25-year-old is one of the most versatile weapons in the league when healthy.
Having been drafted by Ron Rivera in Carolina, it’s clear Washington’s head coach thinks highly of Samuel. While there are more mouths to feed in 2022 (rookies Jahan Dotson, Cole Turner and Brian Robinson Jr. chief among them), Samuel should still see between 8-10 touches per game in the team’s new-look offense.
In 2020, Samuel produced 77 catches for 851 yards and three touchdowns as the Panthers’ third option in the passing game. With an extra game in tow, we like to think Samuel can eclipse those numbers while providing a spark in the rushing attack as he’s averaged 6.4 yards per carry over his five-year career.