Deebo Samuel is betting on the Commanders.
After the star receiver requested a trade from the 49ers, he supplied his agent with a list of five teams he’d want to land with.
Among them was Washington, who swooped in this month and sent a fifth-round pick to San Francisco, plus reworked Samuel’s contract.
The 2019 second-round pick had tasted plenty of winning with the 49ers and took part in —and lost — a pair of Super Bowls in 2020 and 2024. The team followed up its latest Super Bowl run with an injury-filled disaster this past season, finishing at 6-11 and missing the playoffs.
Across the country, Samuel noticed an ascending group that reached the NFC Championship behind a rookie quarterback in Jayden Daniels.
“I like winners. I like to win. I’m not one of your biggest losers,” Samuel told reporters Thursday on a video conference call. “They went to the NFC Championship. I’ve been knowing [Commanders GM] Adam Peters for a while. And … it’s close to home.”
The South Carolina native made a name for himself as a tough, physical threat with the 49ers, with whom he sometimes ran the ball as another means to get it in his hands.
Now 29, Samuel’s numbers have dipped since his Pro Bowl season in 2021, when he logged 1,405 receiving yards.
Reporters covering the 49ers recently suggested he had been overweight this past season, which Samuel essentially confirmed in tweeting that he played at 225 pounds — 10 pounds more than his listed weight.
After the trade and a reworked, walk-year contract that guarantees the $17 million he is due this year with added incentives, Samuel is excited for this season and excited about the type of player the Commanders will see.
“One, they’re getting a motivated Deebo,” he said. “Two, you’re going to get a dog out here. I’m ready to come in here and work.”
