Wanting Washington: Deebo Reveals Key To Trade

The split wasn’t necessarily easy, but it was amicable, and it might help Washington win a Super Bowl.

"One of the hardest things was walking into the office and talking to Kyle about this because of the relationship we built," Samuel said, via ESPN. "He was my coach at the Senior Bowl. He's always been a man of his word. It was a tough conversation. But we both understood where I was coming from, and I understood where he was coming from."

Samuel revealed the key to his Commanders trade, and it has to do with where each organization is trending.

"I like winners," explained the former All-Pro First Team member. "I'm not one of your biggest losers.

"They've got a good team for sure and they were just standing out."

In 2024, of course, Washington exceeded every expectation, emerging as a force in the NFC and appearing in the Conference Championship Game, where the Philadelphia Eagles put an end to an otherwise incredible campaign.

Now, the Commanders are tasked with pairing Daniels with as many proven contributors as possible to make up ground on Philadelphia and a potential Super Bowl. For the first time in seemingly forever, Washington has a quarterback capable of making those expectations reasonable.

"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?'" said Samuel.

Samuel profiles as an instant upgrade over the coalition of Olamide Zaccheaus, Luke McCaffrey, and Dyami Brown that surrounded Terry McLaurin in 2024. Used in the slot, as the Z receiver, and in the backfield as an extension of the ground game, a healthy Samuel can be a difference maker, especially if he can stave off the regression that the 49ers were forced to reckon with.

"They're getting a motivated Deebo. You get a dawg out there. These young legs are still moving, this body is still working pretty well."