A fresh start is in the cards for Deebo Samuel this year. After wrapping up a tenure with the San Francisco 49ers, Samuel looks forward to contributing to a championship-hopeful Washington Commanders team.
The Commanders’ front office invested in a lot of seasoned veterans this season. They wanted postseason experience, and got it around Jayden Daniels by adding the versatile weapon that is Samuel.
But coming off a down year statistically, Samuel is facing a lot of scrutiny. That much was evident back in the spring, when videos of Samuel running routes went viral, as fans suggested he looked out of shape.
As the Commanders battle through their first week of training camp this summer, Samuel is motivated to silence the critics.
“I still got a lot in the tank,” he told reporters.
“My goal every day is to come out here and just get better, take all the coaching and just own my job. … I just go out here and get better every day. Whatever position they put me at to go out here and make plays, I’m going to do the best of my ability.”
Samuel has been a dual-threat since landing in the NFL as a second-round pick out of South Carolina in 2019. The San Francisco 49ers saw him put together an 800-yard receiving campaign in his first season, before he dealt with injury concerns in year two.
By year three, Samuel exploded for 1,405 yards and six touchdowns, while taking on 59 carries for 365 rushing yards, and eight rushing touchdowns.
Since then, Samuel was up and down for the 49ers. After last year’s 670-yard campaign with three touchdowns, the 49ers decided to move Samuel to the Commanders for a fifth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. The Commanders hope that Samuel is another weapon to help boost the sophomore passer, Jayden Daniels, who put together a spectacular first season in the NFL.
At this point, Samuel has 4,792 receiving yards and 22 touchdowns in 81 games. He has also rushed for nearly 1,200 yards and 51 touchdowns on 202 attempts.
Samuel brings 12 games of postseason experience to the table. He caught 46 passes in the postseason for 638 yards and two touchdowns. After making an unexpected run to the NFC Championship last year, the Commanders are confident they’ll be right back in championship contention.
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