Asante Samuel may sit out with a lingering knee injury
According to a report published by the Associated Press (AP) on Friday 26 November, head coach Andy Reid is thinking of resting starting defensive back Asante Samuel when his Philadelphia Eagles take on the Chicago Bears this Sunday 28 November.
The decision comes as the Eagles prepare to face Chicago who is, statistically, one of the worst offensive teams in the league. Reid would apparently like to save his 29-year-old cornerback’s aching knee for prolific wide receiver Andre Johnson and the rest
of the Houston Texans’ offence, which they will face on Thursday 2 December following a short turnaround.
Still, Reid is holding his cards close to the chest, as Samuel remains questionable for Sunday’s contest against the Bears.
“He’s doing better,” Reid said, according to the report. “He’s feeling a little bit better. He’s still not 100 percent, so that’s why we listed him where we listed him. But we’ll just see how he does here.”
Samuel was held out of the team’s practice on Friday, his third such absence of the week. Should the Eagles be without their Pro Bowl-calibre cornerback, nickel back Joselio Hanson would fill his starting spot. Rookie corner Trevard Lindley would then take
over for Hanson as the team’s third option at defensive back.
Samuel continues to nurse the MCL in his knee, following an injury he sustained during an interception return against the New York Giants last Sunday. In the process of that play, Samuel was hit and subsequently fumbled the ball.
“I didn’t feel anything at first, but I was on pain-killers,” Samuel told reporters on Thursday. “The next day, it started to hurt. I couldn’t really walk.”
If Samuel sits, it would mark the second time this season that the talented veteran would be sidelined with an injury. He did not play in Philadelphia’s 10 October meeting with the San Francisco 49ers, suffering from the effects of a concussion.
In the meantime, Hanson has been preparing himself, regardless of Samuel’s situation, and looks forward to the opportunity.
“Every game I play, I prepare as if I’m going to start because you’re only a play away,” the AP reported him as saying. “So, I’m prepared either way this week. I don’t just prepare as if I’m going to be the nickel. I prepare to play.”
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