Deebo Samuel’s simple 3-word reason for joining Commanders

Newly acquired Washington Commanders' wide receiver Deebo Samuel has a straightforward answer for why he joined the franchise.
Nov 10, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. (1) against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the first half at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
Nov 10, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. (1) against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the first half at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images / Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
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The Washington Commanders have been heavy hitters this offseason both in free agency and on the trade market. They haven't focused on just one side of the ball either, improving both their floor and ceiling on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball.

The moves the Commanders have made were partially out of necessity as they had the second-most free agents to hit the open market this period but more so to build off their NFC Championship run from a season ago.

With the culture now shifted in Washington, the front office has done a fantastic job with surrounding their star players with others who are sure to raise the successes that they have recently seen.

One of those more splashy moves the Commanders made this offseason was trading for Swiss army knife wide receiver Deebo Samuel from the San Francisco 49ers to give Jayden Daniels another weapon to even further elevate an already potent offense. Samuel, who was noticeably disgruntled last season with the 49ers, likely was heading elsewhere no matter what based on the trajectory of his former team and now lands with a team that is expected to be in contention for Super Bowl LX.

Deebo Samue
Sep 15, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. (1) warms up before the game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images / Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

After restructuring his contract for the 2025 season and the official signing of it, Samuel attended his opening press conference where he gave a straightforward answer as to why he wanted to join the Commanders.

"I like winners."

The one-time All-Pro is not unfamiliar with success after reaching the playoffs for the majority of his career along with two Super Bowl appearances.

Clearly winning is important to Deebo and after witnessing what happened in San Francisco last season, it became clear why he felt the way he did and why he made the ultimate decision that he needed a change of scenery to achieve his ultimate goal of getting that illustrious Super Bowl ring.

Samuel didn't have quite the season that most expected out of him last season but he now has a chance to get back to his old ways in Washington. The Commanders and Jayden Daniels now have plenty of weapons at their disposal, and with attention being paid to so many playmakers, Deebo could find himself the beneficiary leading to a well-deserved bounce-back season.


READ MORE: Why the Commanders should call Chargers about first-round guard

Stick with CommanderGameday and the Locked On Commanders podcast for more FREE coverage of the Washington Commanders throughout the 2025 offseason.

Follow Caleb on Twitter.

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Caleb Skinner
CALEB SKINNER

Caleb is from Nashville, TN, and graduated from Florida State University in 2018 with majors in Sociology and History. He has previously written for an FSU outlet and started covering the Buccaneers in March of 2022 while co-hosting the Hear the Cannons podcast. He expanded his role with GamedayMedia by covering the Houston Texans and Washington Commanders in April of 2024. You can follow Caleb on Twitter @chsnole