Is Deebo Samuel playing today? Commanders confirm star WR's status for Week 8

The Washington Commanders are still dealing with some torrid injury problems heading into their Week 8 game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night Football. Head coach Dan Quinn isn't looking for excuses, but this is a pretty good one.

Several established starters are done for the season. These now include breakout defensive end Dorance Armstrong Jr., who suffered a knee injury within a few snaps of Washington's clash with the Dallas Cowboys, ending his campaign way ahead of time.

Superstar quarterback Jayden Daniels is also out, missing his third game of the season. He's dealing with a low-grade hamstring strain. Although it isn't classed as long-term, the Commanders ended speculation by ruling him out before preparations for their trip to Kansas City began.

Defensive tackle Daron Payne and kicker Matt Gay are either going to miss the contest or won't be at 100 percent. The Commanders are heavy underdogs as a result, but there were some shining lights amid the doom and gloom.

Commanders will have Deebo Samuel Sr. back in Week 8 against the Chiefs

Deebo Samuel Sr. missed last weekend's game in Dallas. He'd been fighting through a heel problem, but the Commanders opted to give him some much-needed rest. His presence was sorely missed, so all eyes were on the All-Pro's practice participation this week to see if there would be any progress.

Fans were encouraged. Samuel was back on the field and listed as a full participant over the three days. The Commanders still managed his workload effectively, but the fact that he didn't carry an injury designation into the prime-time game couldn't be anything other than a massive positive.

It is all systems go. He won't have Daniels to depend upon under center, but veteran backup Marcus Mariota has proven capable of distributing the football effectively within Kliff Kingsbury's schematic concepts. It won't come with the same explosiveness, so having a dependable outlet like Samuel to lean on for easy completions is only going to help Washington's cause.

Whether that's enough to gain what would be a priceless victory over one of the legitimate Super Bowl contenders remains to be seen. But make no mistake, the Commanders' chances improve with Samuel providing a versatile, aggressive chess piece on offense to keep things ticking over.

If Samuel and the Commanders are confident, fans should be too. And after enduring severe hardship on the health front this season, any positive development should be celebrated.

Now, Samuel must deliver the goods.