Redskins’ Chris Samuels Likely Going To Officially Announce Retirement This Week

The Redskins have schedule a Thursday press conference to officially announce the retirement of longtime left tackle Chris Samuels.

The announcement has been expected for some time due to injuries suffered during the 2009 season.

As was more or less expected, Redskins left tackle Chris Samuels will officially announce his retirement, according to Jason Reid of the Washington Post.

Samuels went out in October with a neck injury and missed the rest of the Redskins season. Due to his stenosis, which is a narrowing of the spine, there is concern that repeated neck injuries could eventually lead to paralysis.

The Redskins announced Saturday afternoon that Chris Samuels has officially been placed on the IR, formally ending his season. From The Washington Times:

Speaking of that decision, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that while no decision’s made, Samuels told Redskins owner Daniel Snyder that he “definitely wants to try” to return.

Earlier Friday, the Washington Post’s Jason Reid reported that the Redskins’ Chris Samuels, was planning to retire. However, it seems as though Samuels has not, in fact, made his decision yet.

As The Player Hater’s Ball points out, this is quite different from Reid’s original post, which seems to have disappeared.

Jason Reid of the Washington Post reports that, as had been rumored, Redskins Pro Bowl LT Chris Samuels will retire due to the neck injury he suffered during the team’s loss to the Carolina Panthers two weeks ago.

Given that

It is beginning to appear less and less likely that Chris Samuels’s future will involve playing football.

He wrote in his blog on Monday that he was set to meet with a spine specialist Tuesday morning to discuss if he can play again this year.

At the end of Jim Zorn’s sad press conference today, the head coach ruled Chris Samuels out for the Redskins’ Week 7 game next Monday against the Eagles. Zorn added that Samuels has been unable to meet with the specialist to review his test results.

From Will Carrol, the internet’s injury expert, comes this recent tweet in regard to Samuels’ possible retirement:

To which Football Outsiders responded with:

Dan Steinberg from the DC Sports Bog makes the point that of all the 53 players on the roster, Chris Samuels is perhaps the one player that ’Skins could least afford to lose. From the Bog:

Indeed, losing Chris Samuels means the Redskins immediately go into code red mode with their blocking schemes—that means keeping in extra backs, eliminating deep drop-backs for Jason Campbell, and most importantly, keeping TE Chris Cooley in to block. As Cooley’s arguably their best offensive weapon, this is fairly crippling to the Redskins’ hopes of putting together big plays, as the receivers have so far proven ineffective.

The mood among Redskins has been somber all season long--even when they beat St. Louis and Tampa Bay, fans crowed about Jim Zorn’s ineptitude and the general disarray that’s enveloped the franchise. Today’s news, however speculative, certainly won’t help matters. The Washington Post’s Jason Reid reports:

Again, much of Reid’s reporting hinges on speculation, here. Samuels has yet to reach a final decision on a timetable for his return this season, let alone for the remainder of his career. Football Outsiders’ “Injury Expert” Will Carroll weighs in with a much-needed dose of sobriety:

If Samuels is out for any extended amount of time the Redskins chances of putting together a winning season go from slim to none.