Just when it looked like the Washington Commanders were about to catch a break. On Wednesday, quarterback Jayden Daniels was officially cleared and back to practice. So was tight end John Bates and right guard Sam Cosmi. The Commanders opened Cosmi’s 21-day practice window as he nears a return from offseason ACL surgery.
Unfortunately, wide receivers Terry McLaurin and Noah Brown remained out. Washington released its first injury report of Week 5 on Wednesday, and there were two new surprising additions: wide receiver Deebo Samuel (heel) and cornerback Mike Sainristil (knee).
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Head coach Dan Quinn did not mention Samuel or Sainristil after Sunday’s game, during his Monday press conference, or during his briefing before Wednesday’s practice.
Should Washington fans be concerned? Wednesday is often a veteran’s rest day for several of the team’s players, including Von Miller, Zach Ertz and Laremy Tunsil. Perhaps Samuel felt soreness and was given an extra day off. There’s no way of knowing until Thursday. If he or Sainristil misses Thursday’s practice, then the concern will rise.
Samuel has been excellent through four games for Washington, scoring touchdowns as a runner and receiver, and setting up another as a kick returner. He remains a matchup problem for opposing defenses. With McLaurin and Brown looking less likely to play, this could be a crisis for the Commanders.
While Sainristil has gotten off to a slow start, he remains an integral part of Washington’s defense. Sainristil is back to playing in the slot after moving to outside corner last season out of necessity. The Commanders’ pass defense has struggled with Sainristil; it could be ugly without him.
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Washington is leaving early for Los Angeles, so it will be interesting to see Samuel and Sainristil’s status for Thursday’s practice.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: New injury concerns ahead of Week 5