Washington's surprise turnaround season has ratcheted up expectations in the nation's capital entering 2025, and its star quarterback harbors the same optimism for one of his newest teammates.
Jayden Daniels welcomed in a new weapon this offseason in receiver Deebo Samuel, a household name who changed coasts when the 49ers traded him to the Commanders in March. It was a headline-making deal and, for Daniels, he couldn't help but smile when envisioning how their new pairing might pan out.
"I'm excited to throw him a little screen and hopefully on the stat sheet it says a touchdown for 80 yards and I didn't have to do any of the work," Daniels said with a grin during an appearance at Fanatics Fest over the weekend, per The Sports Place.
Samuel's arrival provides the Commanders with a much-needed running mate alongside No. 1 receiver Terry McLaurin, filling out a corps that lacked a household name beyond McLaurin last season. This reality didn't hinder Daniels much. He still threw for 3,568 yards, 25 touchdowns and nine interceptions, winning Offensive Rookie of the Year in the process and leading the Commanders to the NFC Championship Game. But entering 2025, it was clear Washington could use an upgrade at the position, prompting the Commanders to swing a deal for the 29-year-old who made his name by proving himself as a catch-and-run sensation in San Francisco.
Samuel likely could use the change of scenery, too. After catching 77 passes for 1,405 yards and six touchdowns in 2021, he finished each of his last three seasons with fewer than 900 receiving yards while also playing through a number of ailments.
Following a frustrating, injury-riddled 2024 campaign, the 49ers acknowledged they'd need to make some difficult decisions as they retooled their roster. Moving Samuel was one of the first changes they made, granting him a chance to compete for a title with an up-and-coming contender while accepting the dead cap penalty ($34.1 million) for the trade in one season.
Samuel, meanwhile, joins an offense that harbors plenty of optimism because of its dynamic, magnetic quarterback who excels at extending plays and could build quite a rapport with the receiver well beyond screens. At minimum, Samuel should help Washington's passing game improve because of how the Commanders can use him in tandem with McLaurin and attack opposing defenses at multiple levels, all under the direction of seasoned play-caller Kliff Kingsbury.
When Daniels and Samuel hit that first screen for a long touchdown, expect the quarterback to flash the same smile he showed on stage over the weekend. They're hoping for plenty of them in 2025.