The Washington Commanders have switched things up this offseason after enduring a rough 2025 campaign. That involves moving on from several players, one of which was veteran wide receiver Deebo Samuel. While Samuel wasn’t perfect last year, he still turned in a decent campaign, but that hasn’t led to him finding a new home just yet.
While it is becoming more and more common for older players to wait until midway through training camp to sign with a new team, Samuel hasn’t generated much tangible interest to this point of the offseason. That could change in the near future, but it led to NFL insider Mike Florio offering some eye-opening comments on his status.
Mike Florio Addresses Deebo Samuel’s Free Agency
After spending the first six years of his career with the San Francisco 49ers, the Commanders traded for Samuel last offseason, pairing him up alongside Terry McLaurin. The hope was that this duo would be one of the best in the league, but instead, McLaurin missed a big chunk of the year with injuries, forcing Samuel to carry much of the load on offense.
While Samuel has had availability issues at times throughout his career, he suited up for 16 games last year and put up respectable numbers (72 REC, 727 YDS, 5 TD). Washington opted not to try and bring him back, though, as it let him hit the open market and find a new home. Considering how the Commanders only recently traded for Samuel, this development was a bit of a letdown.
The lack of interest in Samuel has been surprising, though, and according to Florio, he believes that it may be due to his contract demands. While Samuel is still a valuable playmaker on offense, he’s not the All-Pro player he once was, and once he accepts that, he will likely find a new home very quickly.
“Deebo is a confusing case, because I haven’t seen or heard a word about anyone interested in Deebo Samuel,” Florio said on “PFT PM.” “What Deebo Samuel has to accept is that he’s going to be making a hell of a lot less than he’s been making to do the same thing he’s always done.”
Commanders Content to Move on Without Deebo Samuel
GettyDeebo Samuel Sr. #1 of the Washington Commanders warms up prior to a game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium on December 07, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
Ultimately, Washington may simply want to get younger at this position, but Samuel’s desire to earn another big payday could have convinced them to move on from him, too. The Commanders will be hoping to have McLaurin remain healthier than he was last season, but even if he does, some secondary playmakers are going to have to emerge in the passing game for Jayden Daniels.
Right now, Luke McCaffrey and Antonio Williams are No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, on the depth chart behind McLaurin, so it seems like they will have the first crack at establishing themselves on offense. A reunion with Samuel can’t truly be ruled out, given how weak the depth chart is behind McLaurin, but at this point, the team seems to be content to head into the 2026 campaign without him.
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