Chargers CB Asante Samuel Jr. ‘Felt Great’ After Returning on Sunday

The Chargers will need their rookie cornerback in these final two games.

After dealing with two concussions in a short amount of time, Chargers cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. returned to action against the Texans on Sunday. He missed four games after sustaining a hit to the head trying to tackle Steelers cornerback Najee Harris in week 11.

"I've been feeling good, just been taking it slow — the team doctors and Coach Staley really wanted to take it slow," Samuel said. "I appreciate them for that. Just trying to get back in the groove. I've been practicing, but they wanted me to take it slow."

It is tough to deal with one concussion but having two in a three-game span is very serious. That is why everyone wanted him to take it slow.

Edge rusher Joey Bosa knows a lot of what Samuel was going through because he had two concussions in 2020. He said it took him down a dark place, so he wanted to be there for Samuel and told him to call him if he needed the veteran pass rusher.

"It felt good," Samuel explained. "When you're injured, emotionally, it's tough because you want to play out there, and you've been working out the whole time. It has definitely been good, emotionally, with these guys helping me stay up and keep my spirits high while I wasn't playing."

He had a bit of an up-and-down return. In the first quarter, he had a pass interference called on him that gained 24 yards and allowed a 36-yard Phillip Dorsett catch in the second quarter. After that, it seemed like Samuel got comfortable.

He even batted a pass down later in the game, got up, and shook his head in a Dikembe Mutombo finger-wagging way.

"I felt great," he said. "I was playing a game that I love and with guys that I've been working out with since day one. It was good, we just didn't get the win."

The Chargers coaching staff has a lot of faith in the young cornerback. He has shown flashes of being a steal in the second round. He has been called upon to start opposite Michael Davis for most of the season, and while it is a learning experience, he has grown throughout his first season.

He was missed during his absence, especially because of the high quality of receiving opposites the defense faced. He now returns during the most crucial part of the season, and while last Sunday's result wasn't ideal, they will count on him against the Broncos and Raiders.

"Every game is a learning lesson, whether you're going against the Chiefs or the Texans," Samuel said. "Obviously, yesterday was a learning lesson for the whole team that on any given Sunday, you have to bring it. Definitely, every week is a learning lesson. You have to go out there and play."

Some Key Additions

The new COVID protocols the NFL adopted from the CDC means that there will be a lot more movement with the COVID list than ever before. On Wednesday alone, over 100 players came off the COVID List.

"It's going to be happening throughout the week," Staley explained. "We're going with it like you are. We should have a tremendous amount of guys coming back this week. Then, some guys were added to the list, as well. We're just still following these rules as they come. Each day, there seems to be an update. We do now know that there's that five-day sequence that you can test out before then, so that should give us a good number of guys back for this weekend."

For instance, on Monday, Staley said that receiver Mike Williams, safety Nasir Adderley and cornerback Chris Harris Jr. were out for Sunday's game against the Broncos. These new rules mean that all three can potentially play this Sunday.

They added edge rusher Joey Bosa, cornerback Kemon Hall, defensive back Trey Marshall, receiver Jalen Guyton, and center Corey Linsley to the active roster on Wednesday. Bosa and Linsley will help tremendously, but even the other three players are essential in their positional group.

They did have to add linebacker Kenneth Murray and right tackle Storm Norton to the COVID list. That means both right tackle options Norton and Trey Pipkins are on the list.

"We're hopeful that those guys will be back under the protocols," Staley said. "We would expect to get both of those guys back in some shape or form. This week, we will practice with a couple guys in that role until they come back. We'll kind of go from there."

Nuts N’ Bolts

· Injury report. DNP: LB Drue Tranquill (ankle). Limited: S Derwin James (hamstring). Full: TE Stephen Anderson (shoulder), CB Tevaughn Campbell (hamstring), DL Linval Joseph (shoulder), OLB Uchenna Nwosu (shoulder/hip), DL Jerry Tillery (ankle).