‘I Wasn’t Enjoying Myself’: Curtis Samuel Details Tough Season With Commanders

Injuries limited Curtis Samuel to five games in 2021.

For most of his 2021 season, Washington Commanders wide receiver Curtis Samuel found himself on the sidelines.

In his first season with the franchise after signing a three-year $34.5 million contract in Mar. 2021, Samuel only saw the field for five games due to groin and hamstring injuries. In those five games, Samuel only caught six passes for 27 yards.

The inability to make an impact due to the injury took a toll and Samuel opened up about the hurdles he faced on The Players Club podcast with London Fletcher and Santana Moss.

“I felt like I couldn’t really focus on the game itself,” Samuel said. “I felt like I wasn’t really enjoying myself because every time I’m out there running if I’m playing too hard, am I going to feel it?”

“In my mind, I don’t want to push it too much that I can’t be out there," Samuel said. “It was something always in the back of my mind. Am I ready? It hindered me, it stopped me from being who I wanted to be.”

Staying on the sidelines hurt Samuel, especially given that was his first year in Washington. A chance to make a strong first impression on the organization and fanbase went by the wayside due to his injury.

“In my head, even if I was hurt, no matter how bad I was hurt, they brought me here for a reason,” Samuel said. “I didn’t want to really let people down, didn’t want to let my teammates down, my teammates down, the fanbase down. The people that support this organization. I was just trying to go out there.”

At the season’s end, Samuel went to do his rehab in Miami with trainer Pete Bommarito. While the rehab process brought on some nerves for Samuel, it also opened his eyes to what he’s capable of.

“I won’t lie, I was a little nervous,” Samuel said. “I was a little scared because some of the stuff they had me doing, I haven’t done since my injury happened and I was ‘damn I didn’t know I could still do this.’”

With his groin injury behind him, Samuel made a strong impression in the Commanders 2022 season opener. Samuel caught eight passes for 55 yards and one touchdown — surpassing each total from last season in Washington’s 28-22 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. 

Samuel can further prove that he’s back on Sunday when Washington goes on the road to face the Detroit Lions at 1 p.m.

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