Does former All-Pro wide receiver Deebo Samuel still have enough in the tank to be a top receiver for the Washington Commanders?
That's what general manager Adam Peters and the rest of the franchise believes.
Washington sent a fifth-round pick to the San Francisco 49ers for Samuel and his offensive weapon-skill set. After an All-Pro season in 2021, though, Samuel has struggled to be efficient and stay on the field to begin with.
He has put up under 1,000 receiving yards in each of the last three seasons.
Despite those struggles, the Commanders aren't the only ones who think big things are coming for the former 49er. NFL analyst Marc Ross's most anticipated debut of the season article highlighted Samuel more than other stars around the league.
The reason? Commanders star quarterback Jayden Daniels.
"Though Samuel had success under Kyle Shanahan in San Francisco, this will be the best quarterback he has played with, along with the best receiver he has played with in Terry McLaurin. I'm interested to see how Kliff Kingsbury uses Samuel in this offense and how much better the unit will be with Samuel in tow," Ross wrote.
Is Daniels already better than the likes of Brock Purdy or JimmyG? After a historic rookie season, it's hard to question that take at the very least.
And it's why there are some analysts who believe that the Commanders can get the last bit of elite play out of Samuel going into 2025.
It could be the deciding factor between Washington reaching the Super Bowl and merely getting back to the postseason only.