The Washington Commanders are shifting gears as uncertainty persists regarding one of Jayden Daniels’ best weapons.
“Terry McLaurin’s hold-in — as well as Noah Brown sidelined while recovering from a knee injury in the spring — has helped allow quarterback Jayden Daniels to develop a growing rapport with new receiver Deebo Samuel,” ESPN’s John Keim wrote on Monday. “That has been on display since camp started when the two connected on a deep ball. It was evident in the joint session against New England and again on Sunday in a non-padded practice.”
Daniels has quickly established trust in Samuel’s versatile ability in the passing game. Samuel has been known to leap high for contested catches and make big, physical plays against defenders.
“Deebo is starting to understand how I see things,” Daniels said. “I love hearing his feedback as to what he sees.
“He looks good. He makes plays, contested catches. As we grow this thing I’m excited to see what we do in a game setting.”
The Commanders brought in Samuel this offseason, after sending a 2025 fifth-round pick to the San Francisco 49ers. It was initially unclear how the 29-year-old gadget player would fit into Washington’s offense. But the more quality reps he stacks with Daniels in training camp, the more his presence feels right.
McLaurin’s Extended Absence Could Play Samuel Into Top Seat
When McLaurin officially requested a trade from the Commanders on July 31, the instant concern was how much the previous chemistry with Daniels would be impacted.
In the 2024-25 campaign, McLaurin and Daniels successfully helped the team reach their first NFC championship appearance since 1991. McLaurin hauled in 82 receptions for 1,096 yards and 13 touchdowns, as Daniels went on to win Offensive Rookie of the Year with 3,568 yards and 25 passing touchdowns.
It’s difficult to watch something that strong slowly fade as Daniels enters a pivotal Year 2 in the NFL. That said, Daniels is handling the situation like a true pro. He’s not limiting himself to one or two favorite targets. He’s focusing on what he and the offense can control.
McLaurin’s extension talks with the Commanders remain stalled, but Daniels and Samuel are finding creative ways to improve one of the NFL’s highest-scoring offenses.
What’s Next in Commanders’ Training Camp?
Head coach Dan Quinn and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury have both been impressed with what Samuel has brought to the offense in Ashburn, thus far.
“There’ll be some things that people haven’t seen with how we feature him,” Commanders head coach Dan Quinn said last week, per Henry McKenna of FOX Sports.com.
Kingsbury didn’t hold back his excitement.
“I think it’ll be huge [for Daniels’ development],” Kingsbury told McKenna. “Those hidden yards that you can get with a player like Deebo, whether it’s a screen or a quick pass when he makes the first guy miss, is so valuable for a quarterback. The pressure is not always on you to hold on to it and throw it down the field, and so that’s kind of an outlet that can be a real peace of mind. When things are getting harder, OK, how do we get Deebo the ball? Let’s get him involved. He can get it going. It doesn’t have to be all on the QB.”
While Samuel was picked up earlier this offseason as perhaps more of a complementary piece, it now looks like he’s in line to potentially be Daniels’ No. 1 option in 2025.
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