Veteran wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. is projected to have a huge impact on the Washington Commanders' offense in 2025. Head coach Dan Quinn holds a similar opinion, firing back at the critics that surfaced when a social media video was taken completely out of context.
Quinn probably didn't see the video. He's got far more important things to be worrying about. However, his glowing reference regarding the influence Samuel is having on the squad should shut down any remaining fears among the fan base.
Dan Quinn outlines surprising element of Deebo Samuel's seamless Commanders transition
When discussing Samuel's impact so far, Quinn outlined one thing that's surprised him above all else. This centered on the former second-round selection's deceptive speed, which makes him an extremely difficult proposition to stop when one considers how notoriously tough he is to get on the ground.
"Deebo [Samuel] has been impressive to me for maybe a different reason than I thought. He was such a difficult person to tackle, and somewhere along the way, I've forgotten until out here how fast he is. It didn't surprise me, but maybe I missed talking about it to that space because it was easily reminded. He's one of the fastest players on the team."
Dan Quinn via The Athletic
That's not the narrative being pushed on social media. They center on Samuel being past his prime, out of shape, and slow. And all based on a jog-through install rather than anything competitive attached.
The Commanders' social media team heard the chatter, too. They posted a video of Samuel making a nice catch and run during the team portion of practice on Day 3 of Washington's mandatory minicamp. His explosiveness and elusiveness were right where they needed to be at this stage of preparations. It also made some engagement farmers look pretty foolish along the way.
mama there goes that man pic.twitter.com/k5rRGNmEPo
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) June 12, 2025
Samuel's heard all the criticism. He worked exceptionally hard throughout the offseason to silence his haters. He's come into the franchise in great shape, has renewed focus, and is ready to prove everyone who doubted him wrong. And the Commanders are backing him every step of the way.
Washington is right on the cusp of something special. Those in power believe Samuel can help get them over the hump. This is the fresh start he's been craving, so maximizing it can only mean good things for the player and the organization.
And who knows, perhaps this might even become more than a one-year relationship if everything goes according to plan.
