During the 2024 season, the Washington Commanders saw the franchise’s trajectory change in the blink of an eye. Now on a new course towards contention, the front office wasted little time making win-now moves in the offseason.

Washington’s offense went through a big change last season as former No. 2 pick Jayden Daniels took the reins at quarterback. He quickly took the league by storm, drastically improving the Commanders’ play on the side of the ball with his combination of speed and throwing ability. Daniels’ presence resulted in Washington winning double-digit games and punching their ticket to the postseason.

The Commanders’ run didn’t end there, as Daniels was able to carry his positive momentum into the postseason. He helped Washington get within arm’s reach of a Super Bowl appearance before getting eliminated at the hands of the Philadelphia Eagles.

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Following this deep playoff run, the front office quickly got to work making improvements. Their biggest swing in the offseason was trading for wide receiver Deebo Samuel. Paired with Terry McLaurin (whenever his holdout comes to an end), he will provide Daniels with a pair of wideouts capable of ripping off a big play at any moment.

Still in the early stages of their time together, Daniels seems to approve of the Commanders’ latest offensive addition. While at “Fanatic Fest” last week, the rising star gave his thoughts on Samuel entering the fold. Daniels jokingly said he can’t wait for veteran WR to inflate his passing numbers with his dynamic skill set.

“I’m excited to throw him a little screen and hopefully on the stat sheet it says a touchdown for 80 yards and I didn’t have to do any of the work,” Daniels said with a grin.

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Samuel, 29, is coming off a down year with the Niners to his standards. Across 15 appearances, he racked totaled 670 yards and three touchdowns. Both are the third-lowest marks for any given season in his career.

Now with a chance of scenery, Samuel has a chance to get back in the conversation with the league’s best wideouts. He is flanked by a young QB who is looking to make a name for himself and isn’t scared to let the ball fly. Also, with McLaurin drawing attention from opposing secondary, lanes should open up for Samuel to impact games on a weekly basis.

After being part of a handful of deep runs in San Francisco, Samuel will now attempt to help his new team rise to contender status in the NFC.

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