ASHBURN, Va. — When the Washington Commanders acquired Deebo Samuel in March, the receiver had an idea of what to expect.
Samuel had played against head coach Dan Quinn’s defenses during his time with the San Francisco 49ers. And Samuel had played two division games a year against now-Washington offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury’s teams when Kingsbury coached the Arizona Cardinals.
But playing against a team doesn’t fully replicate the experience of playing for it.
And six years in Kyle Shanahan’s potent offense didn’t familiarize Samuel with what’s expected in Washington.
“Not at all,” Samuel told Yahoo Sports. “It’s a no-huddle [offense here]. It’s just signals. You got to pay attention to the small things and you got to pay attention to [quarterback] Jayden [Daniels] because he’s giving the signals really quick.
With the 49ers, Samuel says, “we always had huddle.”
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The Commanders and 49ers were on opposite ends of the no-huddle spectrum last season. While Washington went no-huddle on a whopping 61.5% of its plays, San Francisco ditched the huddle on just 3.2% plays, according to TruMedia data.
The Commanders ran 1,101 offensive plays compared to the 49ers’ 1,026.
Put it together: The Commanders lined up without a huddle more than 670 times last season, while the 49ers did so just 33 times.
Samuel’s observation doesn’t reflect just the 49ers’ 27th-ranked no-huddle usage. It also reflects the Commanders’ more than doubling the second-place Chicago Bears’ 25.2% no-huddle usage, and more than quintupling (that’s five times!) the league average 12.0% no-huddle clip.
Since the 2003 start of TruMedia data on no-huddle usage, only two units had ever used no-huddle at a higher rate than the 2024 Commanders: the Chip Kelly Philadelphia Eagles in 2013 (66.7%) and 2015 (72.%).
The Commanders’ offense may be coming at Samuel fast — but teammates and coaches believe he’ll thrive.
“Another playmaker,” Daniels told Yahoo Sports. “I mean, he’s proven in this league and obviously a fresh start for him so he’s getting it down, being able to get the ball in his hand and let him do what he does.
“I’m excited to be able to get the ball in his hand and see what he can do.”
In six years with the 49ers, Samuel caught 334 passes for 4,792 yards and 22 touchdowns while rushing for an addition 1,143 yards and 20 touchdowns.
Samuel led the league with 18.2 yards per reception during the 2021 season, a full 10 of those yards coming after the catch.
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Last season, he caught 51 passes for 670 yards and three touchdowns while battling in-season pneumonia.
The Commanders dealt a 2025 fifth-round draft pick for Samuel, who is owed $17.6 million in cash this season — the final year of his deal.
Samuel sees potential this year, both because he believes he’s “got a lot in the tank” and because Daniels has impressed his new receiver with his accuracy, decision-making and wheels “faster than what people think.”
Daniels and Samuel hope soon to tap into a one-two punch of Samuel and seventh-year Commanders receiver Terry McLaurin.
McLaurin, who Washington drafted a round after San Francisco selected Samuel, is coming off a career-best 13 touchdowns during Daniels’ Offensive Rookie of the Year season. With one year left on his contract and five straight 1,000-yard seasons on his résumé, McLaurin held out through minicamp and the first week of training camp.
He reported to Washington last weekend but has not practiced, instead landing on the physically unable to perform list with an ankle injury designation.
Quinn noted to Yahoo Sports on Sunday that unlike injured reserve, the PUP list “you can come off any time.”
Samuel sees a high ceiling for how he and McLaurin play off each other if or when the Commanders’ 2024 13-touchdown receiver returns to the fold.
“Terry is a guy that his ball skills are crazy,” Samuel said. “The way he tracks the ball, his vertical presence, and I’m kind of a guy weaving in and out. I think it just complements each other and we just feed off each other’s energy.
“We can do whatever. The sky’s the limit once he come back out.”
