Deebo Samuel Is Gone, and Washington's Receiver Room Looks Thin Again

San Francisco brought Deebo Samuel back on a one-year deal worth up to $7 million, and just like that, Washington's one-season experiment with the former All-Pro is over. Samuel played 16 games for the Commanders in 2025, catching 72 passes for 727 yards and five touchdowns while adding another score on the ground. For a 5-12 team that was outscored by 95 points on the year, he was one of the few offensive pieces that actually held up.

What's left at receiver is Terry McLaurin, who missed time last season and logged 582 yards in 10 games, and a depth chart that currently lists Treylon Burks — who is questionable in camp — ahead of Luke McCaffrey and Nick Nash. That's not a finished room. Jayden Daniels, when healthy, showed enough in seven games to suggest the quarterback isn't the problem. Getting him reliable targets is.

The Fabian Moreau signing this week and the ongoing cornerback shuffling suggest the front office has been busy, but the receiver situation hasn't been addressed publicly in the same way. There's a report floating around about Brandon Aiyuk potentially being released by San Francisco, and that same article raises the question of whether he'd land in Washington — but nothing is confirmed, and I won't get ahead of it. For now, Samuel's exit is the news, and it leaves a real gap.