The Washington Commanders finally got some good news on the injury front as they prepared to head into a significant early-season clash with the Los Angeles Chargers.
Dan Quinn confirmed that starting quarterback Jayden Daniels had been medically cleared to resume practicing and was expected to make his return. Almost as important, his leading receiver through the early portion of the 2025 season, Deebo Samuel Sr., would also be on the field.
That was not at all certain at the beginning of the week, when it was reported that Samuel was dealing with a heel injury that was limiting his practice. The South Carolina product did not practice on either Wednesday or Thursday of this week, but was a full participant on Friday. Fans were thrilled to see the wideout not carry an injury designation into the contest.
Commanders' chances in Week 5 improved with Deebo Samuel's availability
On opening day, the Commanders put three veteran receivers on the field. Two of them had great success with Daniels last year. But Noah Brown has not played since Week 2, and Terry McLaurin will be missing his second consecutive game. Between them, through four games, they have managed just 13 catches for 185 receiving yards and zero touchdowns.
That is significantly less than what McLaurin averaged on his own in 2024.
In their absence, the passing game has suffered. Though Luke McCaffrey has scored touchdowns in two straight games, the other backups — rookie Jaylin Lane and veteran Chris Moore — have been mostly non-factors.
Washington has stashed a lot of young receivers on the practice squad, and added Robbie Chosen this week. He was a potent deep-ball threat in his early years, when he went by the name Robbie Anderson. But that was almost 10 years ago. He has played in just 27 NFL games since 2021.
Chosen may get the call this week. Or perhaps the Commanders will turn again to Tay Martin, the journeyman who caught one pass against the Atlanta Falcons. Maybe this will be the game that preseason sensation Ja’Corey Brooks gets his shot. Washington will need bodies at receiver to take the place of McLaurin and Brown, who have both been ruled out.
But having Samuel on the field is enormous. He is Washington’s leader in every significant receiving category this season. He is also averaging more than six-and-a-half yards per carry on the ground and has been an excellent kickoff returner when called upon.
Samuel is a natural team leader, whose passion, toughness, and veteran smarts have been essential to a team that is awaiting McLaurin's return to form after his contract holdout this offseason.
Jim Harbaugh’s squad has had one of the league's best defenses this season, ranking third overall in yards allowed. Against opposing quarterbacks, they have been the best in the NFL in yards allowed per pass.
That suggests the Commanders will try to run the ball. Samuel’s blocking and running make him a vital part of the ground game. But with Washington’s secondary struggling mightily, they may need to make big plays through the air to keep up with Justin Herbert and his talented receivers.
The Chargers are dealing with injuries of their own and will be without both of their excellent offensive tackles. But they are still able to hit big plays in the passing game.
The Commanders want to control the ball on the ground to limit Herbert et al. However, they will most likely need their wideouts to make some chunk plays. Fortunately, they will have Samuel available to do just that.