One of the first major trades of the 2025 NFL offseason just went down as the San Francisco 49ers traded Deebo Samuel Sr. to the Washington Commanders in exchange for a fifth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
The Commanders’ quarterback, Jayden Daniels, was indeed in need of a receiving threat alongside Terry McLaurin, and after Samuel’s trade, let’s see what he had to say.
Jayden Daniels Strong Message For Deebo Samuel Sr.
While Samuel is coming off of a down season (career lows in receptions per game and on-field target share), he remains the type of versatile weapon valued at a high level in this league (37+ rush attempts in four straight seasons). His 93 games of NFL experience are a nice addition to the young offense with an impressive ceiling.
Daniels is excited to throw to Samuel, and after the trade became official, he shared a two-word message on his Instagram story.
“Let’s work !!”
This move not only gives Daniels another reliable pass catcher but also elevates their team profile relative to the competition they are likely to face in high-leverage spots for years to come (the NFL’s top YAC teams last season were, in order, the Detroit Lions, Buffalo Bills, and Baltimore Ravens).
How does this impact the upside case for Daniels (QB9 in our QB+ grading system, ranking a spot ahead of Patrick Mahomes)? As a rookie, Daniels ranked 24th of 36 qualifiers in yards per short completion (under 10 air yards), a metric that saw the top three finishers all get invited to the MVP ceremony.
He ranked second in that regard on deep passes (15+ air yards); that means that this addition gives him a path to being a truly elite weapon with his legs, on short passes, and down the field — the golden trio of statistical outputs that few in the history of this game have ever had access to. So, why shouldn’t he be excited?
Commanders Are Super Bowl Contenders Going Into 2025
In 2024, the Commanders took the league by storm. Coming off a 4-13 season and led by a new head coach and a rookie quarterback, nobody was expecting the organization to pull off a 180 so quickly, going 12-5 and making it all the way to the NFC Championship Game.
In 2025, no one will be overlooking the Commanders. Daniels is coming off of arguably the greatest rookie season of all time for a quarterback, and now the team has gained valuable playoff experience and has a ton of money to spend this offseason with a chance to really improve the roster.
Trading for Samuel started the offseason transactions with a bang for Washington, who now boasts one of the league’s most potent receiver duos.
The Commanders adding Deebo to their offense pic.twitter.com/IYKtNVe1U7
— BetMGM 🦁 (@BetMGM) March 1, 2025
Expectations will be sky-high in Washington as the team looks to build on its magical 2024 season and attempt to cement itself as a perennial playoff contender in the NFC going forward.