Kingsbury Previews Samuel's Impact on Commanders

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Kingsbury Previews Samuel's Impact on Commanders originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
In 2024, the Washington Commanders learned that they had a franchise quarterback on their hands. Jayden Daniels is a superstar, and his ascension into a Super Bowl-caliber passer has the potential to change the fortune of the franchise for over a decade.
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Helping him get there is offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury and a supporting cast that improved during the offseason.
Credit to Washington for acknowledging what it has under center and being aggressive in taking advantage of it. The team traded for veteran receiver Deebo Samuel and Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil, insulating the unit with known quantities.
Samuel, specifically, has a unique opportunity to elevate the offense given the perceived weakness behind Terry McLaurin on the depth chart.
On Thursday, Kingsbury previewed the impact of Samuel on the Commanders' offense.
"Yeah, both tremendous players. Terry taking the top off, doing the things he does with his route tree, outside, always scares defenses. And then Deebo, just the myriad of ways you can use him, the touches you can get, he's hard to tackle, that firsthand space rarely gets him down," he told reporters. "And so just finding ways that he can continue to impact our offense and still get those other guys to football."
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Samuel is an upgrade, albeit a risky one given his age, durability, and potential decline. He was at his best as a hybrid running back/receiver, but those days may be behind him.
What he demands, though, is targets. And with so many of Washington's targets returning in 2025, that means everyone's slice of the pie is bound to get a little smaller.
"Yeah, I've never had a great player that didn't want the ball and so that kind of comes with the territory," he said. "But that's one thing I think that DQ [Dan Quinn] has created where it's the team above anything else. And these guys that had their success last year and got their touches, they know bringing Deebo in, there's going to be less, but we're going to be better.
'And I think when they're able to sacrifice for that and understand that the ultimate goal is winning, then it all works itself out. But you want those guys, I mean, I'll get cussed out a few games, but it just comes with the territory. You'd rather have really good players cussing you out, than bad players cussing you out."
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Ultimately, Daniels has the talent to fix any target-based issue. He's the rising tide that lifts all boats, and if Samuel is opening things up for McLaurin and his co-stars, there should be more than enough opportunities to satisfy him. Further, winning cures all, and Washington has a real chance to play meaningful football deep into January.
Last season, the Commanders were playing with house money. Armed with a more talented, and expensive, roster, the clock is officially ticking on the Super Bowl window.
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Related: Analyst Questions If Commanders Defense Got Better in Offseason
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on May 31, 2025, where it first appeared.