This season, the Commanders needed another spark on offense, and new GM Adam Peters knew exactly where to look. Enter Deebo Samuel. It didn’t take long for the do-it-all wideout to settle in with the Burgundy and Gold, and as training camp buzz picked up around the DMV, so did the chatter about just how electric this new partnership could be. Naturally, head coach Dan Quinn had a few things to say, too. Speaking to Kay Adams on Up & Adams, Quinn sounded almost surprised by what he discovered working with Deebo firsthand.
“I knew he was a good player, what I didn’t know was how much fun he is to coach,” Quinn said. Coming from a defense-first guy like Quinn, that’s high praise—and a clear sign Deebo’s personality is already fitting right in. But here’s where it gets interesting—Deebo didn’t hold back when comparing his past and present setups. Still on the Up & Adams show, he opened up about how different things feel under Kliff Kingsbury.
“I think so,” Samuel said when asked if this new system suits him better. “I was used to a ton there for sure, I think more so of the, you know, the up-tempo offense. You know, too much know like where the guys are going to be lined up.” That subtle jab at Kyle Shanahan’s predictable play-calling said more than any stat ever could.
To be fair, Deebo’s resume in The Bay is nothing to scoff at. In six seasons with the 49ers, he played 81 games, racked up 4,792 receiving yards, 334 catches, and 22 touchdowns—plus two trips to the Super Bowl. But even with all that, the 29-year-old is ready to rewrite his story in the nation’s capital.
And now, with a new offense comes new freedom. “In San Fran, was kind of like, you know, we huddled so they kind of like get a glimpse of where I’m at, like in the split second,” Samuel added. “But with no offense, you never know where nobody’s going to be, whether it’s going to be, you know, Zach in the slot, Terry in the slot.” The unpredictability? Deebo loves it.
Ultimately, Deebo landed on a Washington squad that isn’t sneaking up on anyone anymore. After last season’s 12-5 stunner that saw them knock off the No. 1 seed Detroit Lions and nearly topple Philly in the NFC title game, expectations are sky-high. And now, with Deebo in the mix, Kliff’s offense just got a whole lot scarier.
Deebo Samuel is ready to prove himself
So when Deebo Samuel posted those intense workout pics in full Commanders gear ahead of training camp, he wasn’t just showing off his grind—he was sending a message. His caption did all the talking: “Tried to write me off. Talk faded. Every whisper. Every doubt. Here to show ’em the difference between hype&heart. Same passion. Same mission. New chapter. YR7. ” After a rocky final year in The Bay, the DMV is now his proving ground.
And let’s not forget—this is the same Deebo who just two years ago was tearing defenses apart with sheer force. He wasn’t just another wideout; he was one of the league’s most disruptive weapons. But injuries piled up, weight became a talking point, and then came Christian McCaffrey, who changed the entire offensive flow in San Francisco. Add Brandon Aiyuk’s emergence, and Deebo’s role started to shrink fast.
Now, though, things feel different. Kliff Kingsbury may not hand him the ball like Shanahan did, but he doesn’t need to. What Deebo brings is versatility, and Kingsbury is all about misdirection and creativity. Even without backfield snaps, Samuel’s presence opens doors—and windows—for this Washington offense.
Of course, there’s still one big contract cloud hanging over Commanders Nation. Terry McLaurin wants $30M+, and until that deal is done, Deebo might just take over as WR1. But if the front office does find a way to keep both, Washington could be looking at one of the most lethal wideout pairings in the league.
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