Deebo Samuel had a solid season for the Washington Commanders last year, and it’s somewhat surprising that the former All-Pro has yet to find a new team. At his peak, the former second-round pick was one of the most dangerous all-around threats in the league, capable of beating defenses as a wide receiver, a running back, and a gadget play demon. While he has lost a step since those days, the 2025 campaign proved he can still be a reliable weapon, even without offensive guru Kyle Shanahan calling the shots.
Appearing in 16 games, Deebo Samuel finished his first season in Washington with a respectable 72 receptions for 727 yards and five touchdowns despite losing quarterback Jayden Daniels to injury for large stretches of the season. While the Commanders themselves had a disappointing campaign, Samuel played up to the level that was expected of him.
With training camp now underway for some organizations and right around the corner for others, some are wondering if Deebo Samuel is ready to call it a career. However, the wide receiver recently silenced that criticism and made it clear he hopes to play another season.
“Going on Year 8…[I] still feel like I got a lot, at least like three, four good years left,” Samuel said. “It’s kind of been tough, not even going to lie to you. All the free agency stuff going on, waking up in the morning, looking at your phone, seeing if your agent hit you [up] and was like, ‘This team is interested,’ or things along those lines.”
Deebo Samuel Not Contemplating Retirement; Wants to Play In 2026
Some veterans intentionally choose to sit out portions of training camp and sign closer to the start of the season, but it doesn’t appear Deebo Samuel is willingly in that camp. Based on his video, the wide receiver desperately wants to join a new team, but there doesn’t appear to be much interest across the league.
This is surprising, as Deebo Samuel is coming off a solid season with the Washington Commanders and doesn’t have any documented off-field issues. Samuel is something of a known commodity, having been in the league this long, so perhaps teams across the league are waiting to see how their younger receivers perform in training camp and the preseason. When some of them inevitably struggle, perhaps a team could call Samuel and bring him in as a veteran reinforcement.
