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Coming off a down season in San Francisco, Deebo Samuel was cast aside by the 49ers this offseason as they sent him to Washington in exchange for only a fifth-round pick. Samuel's sizable salary cap hit (around $17.5 million) obviously had something to do with the paltry return, but the Niners surely wouldn't have been willing to make such a deal if they thought Samuel could get back to his All-Pro level of play.
That fuels Samuel as he heads into his first year with the Commanders.
"They're getting a motivated Deebo," Samuel said of the Commanders, via the Associated Press. "I'm very motivated. I'm just ready to get back to work. I'm just ready to get around a group of guys, meet with the players and we just go from there."
Washington actually guaranteed Samuel's salary for the upcoming season, and added $3 million in incentives to the deal, according to ESPN.
"It just kind of shows what they think," Samuel said. "For me on my end, it's just like they put this much trust in me to do the things they as far as my contract, I can't come in here and let them down. I've got to give it my all. I've got to do all the things that I need to do to be the best version of myself when I come here."
Samuel is expected to operate as the team's No. 2 receiver behind Terry McLaurin. He probably won't recapture the heights of his spectacular 2021 season, but Washington isn't asking him to do so. He's there because his skill set is a strong fit for offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury's offense given his ability to handle jet sweeps and screens and create yards after the catch. As long as he stays healthy and fills that role, the Commanders will be happy with the move.
