Photo Credit: Washington Commanders
Deebo Samuel is ready to prove himself in Washington. After the Commanders acquired him from San Francisco and guaranteed the final year of his contract, the veteran receiver made it clear he intends to reward their faith.
“They put this much trust in me,” Samuel said. “I can’t come in here and let them down.”
Commanders’ Investment in Samuel
The Commanders traded a fifth-round pick to the 49ers for Samuel, finalizing the deal on March 12 after agreeing to terms earlier in the month. Unlike the 49ers, Washington chose not to use an option bonus that would have spread his cap hit over two seasons. Instead, they fully guaranteed his final contract year—previously non-guaranteed—and added $3 million in incentives. As a result, Samuel will count $17.55 million against Washington’s salary cap in 2024.
The team also signed former Cowboys receiver Michael Gallup to a one-year deal. Gallup briefly retired after being released by Dallas and signing with Las Vegas last season.
Fresh Start in Washington
For Samuel, Washington offers a reset after six seasons with the 49ers. In his first press conference since the trade, he acknowledged that requesting a trade was difficult but said he’s eager to show his new team what he can still do.
“They’re getting a motivated Deebo,” he said via video conference. “You get a dawg out there. These young legs are still moving, this body is still working pretty well.”
Samuel told 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan after the season that he wanted out, citing a need for change. Washington, one of five teams he targeted, appealed to him for a simple reason:
“I like winners,” Samuel said. “I’m not one of your biggest losers. They’ve got a good team for sure, and they were just standing out.”
The Commanders finished 12-5 last season—marking their first winning record since 2016—and reached the NFC Championship Game for the first time since 1991.
A key factor in Samuel’s decision was quarterback Jayden Daniels, the reigning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. Samuel’s former 49ers teammate Brandon Aiyuk, who played with Daniels at Arizona State, had long praised the young quarterback.
“That’s all B.A. used to talk about, ‘My boy is about to win the Heisman. My boy is about to do this, my boy’s about to do that,'” Samuel said. “He won the Heisman and came to the league and played extremely well. Everything Aiyuk said would happen, happened.
“Just to see him grow and see how well he played last year I was like, man why not try to come over here and help in any aspect that I can.”
A Chance to Bounce Back
Samuel’s ability to impact a game—both as a receiver and a rusher—was a major factor in Washington’s interest. Over his career, he has totaled 4,792 receiving yards and 22 touchdowns, along with 1,143 rushing yards and 20 rushing touchdowns.
However, he battled injuries last season, finishing with just 806 scrimmage yards—his lowest in any full season. Despite the challenges, Samuel believes he still has more to offer.
“Everyone wants to see me take my game to a level I don’t think it can go,” he said. “But everyone says there’s another level, so I’ll push myself to that level.”
Gallup Looks to Reignite Career
For Gallup, Washington presents an opportunity to revive his career. The former Cowboy caught 266 passes over six seasons in Dallas, including three seasons under current Commanders head coach Dan Quinn, who was then the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator.
Gallup admitted he wasn’t in the right mindset last season, which led him to step away from football.
“The way I was let go from being in some place for so long and then jumping to a whole other team and not being able to process it,” Gallup said. “I never went through that before. It was fast for me, and I wasn’t there yet.”
Still, the desire to return never left him. Watching games with his son only reinforced his hunger to play again.
“Every time we turned on the game, it was like, I need to be out there making plays, too.”
Gallup was once a deep threat, averaging 15.6 yards per catch in his first three seasons. Over the last three years, that number dropped to 11.9. In 2023, he finished with 34 receptions for 418 yards.
“There’s a lot of meat on that bone,” Gallup said. “I’ve got a lot of fire up in me.”
With Samuel and Gallup now in the mix, Washington’s receiving corps gains depth and experience as the Commanders look to build on last season’s success.
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This report used information from ESPN.
