During the offseason, the Washington Commanders made a noticeable upgrade to their offense by trading for Deebo Samuel. As he prepares for this next chapter of his career, the veteran wideout seems eager to prove his critics wrong.
Since his Pro Bowl selection in 2021, Samuel was a key component in the San Francisco 49ers’ offense. Following a 2024 campaign where his production saw a slight dip, the 29-year-old now finds himself on an up-and-coming Commanders team.
When Washington first pulled off this trade, many were excited about what he could bring to the offense led by rising star Jayden Daniels. However, his early days with the team have been met with some criticism. Based on his recent actions, Samuel seems eager to change the narrative around him.
During minicamp, a clip went viral online of Samuel jogging while running a route. This led to endless chatter about him being out of shape and not ready to provide a lift to the Commanders. The outside noise got even louder when a longtime member of the Philadelphia Eagles took a shot at Samuel.
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When asked about the Commanders’ new addition, Brandon Graham quickly dismissed Samuel. He said he’s not worth worrying about until he gets himself in a good place physically.
“I wouldn’t worry about him,” Graham said of Samuel. “He got to be in shape first. He don’t look like he in shape right now.”
Samuel appears to have heard the outside noise and doesn’t plan on sitting idly by. He is hard at work ahead of training camp to start building up positive momentum heading into the 2025 campaign. Over the weekend, footage surfaced online of Samuel getting work in with viral trainer James “The Route God” Everett.
Also read: Raiders Cited as Possible Landing Spot For Commanders Star Amid Holdout
Fresh off reaching the NFC Championship game, the Commanders are a team eager to climb the ranks in the NFL. If they’re going to remain in the hunt, they’ll need a locked-in and motivated Samuel. Alongside Terry McLaurin (assuming his holdout ends), he has a chance to form one of the league’s top receiver duos.
Seeing that Samuel is hard at work fine-tuning his skills, he looks ready to have an immediate impact on Washington. All the online criticism could have a reverse effect and only push the veteran WR more to have a strong bounce-back campaign with the Commanders.
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