Adam Peters had faith in Deebo Samuel Sr. when almost everyone else had written him off. The Washington Commanders have been rewarded with a renaissance start to the 2025 season from the wide receiver.
Samuel heard all the criticism. Accusations of not being locked in and poor conditioning were rife during his final season with the San Francisco 49ers. The versatile offensive weapon showed up in Washington with renewed focus, determined to turn the tide and silence his doubters.
This is precisely what the Commanders had in mind when they sent a fifth-round pick to the Niners. However, it has presented Peters with a possible headache if the same trend continues.
Commanders heading for a contract collision with Deebo Samuel Sr.
The Commanders got Samuel on the relative cheap in part because he is out of contract next spring. San Francisco had no intention of keeping him around beyond 2025, so they got what they could while they could. This urgency to answer the critics is one thing, but the added incentive of another lucrative contract can bring about improved effort.
Peters felt like it was a risk worth taking. It's paying off, and Samuel is on pace to go over 1,000 all-purpose yards (rushing and receiving) if he maintains his outstanding opening. That's not going to be cheap to keep around, although the Commanders are projected to have $84.14 million in available salary-cap space with just 34 players under contract.
That sum could increase when restructures and releases occur. But with the likes of Laremy Tunsil, Frankie Luvu, and Daron Payne, among others, also on the hunt for extensions, coupled with quarterback Jayden Daniels being extension-eligible after the 2026 campaign, it's not hard to see why keeping everyone happy is going to be a complicated process for Peters to navigate.
It's something to monitor. At the same time, it's a problem for the future.
The Commanders are currently focusing on the regular season. Peters' primary goal is to do whatever he can to strengthen the roster and assess the options around almost constantly. Everything else, including his potential dilemma with Samuel, can wait.
This is a nice problem to have. The Commanders took a flier on Samuel, believing he still had a lot of good football left. That looks to be a shrewd investment so far, and his chances of getting another deal in Washington or elsewhere have already increased exponentially.
Maintaining it and staying healthy are the new challenges. But based on his initial impact, Samuel looks more than capable of passing these with flying colors.
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