There was excitement one year ago when the Washington Commanders acquired wide receiver Deebo Samuel for a fifth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. With one year remaining on his contract, Samuel had much to prove and Washington badly needed to give quarterback Jayden Daniels another weapon.

Samuel fit in perfectly, attending all offseason work. During that time, he developed a rapport with Daniels, while Terry McLaurin held out for a contract extension. The Commanders had envisioned Samuel in a diverse role, sort of like he played in San Francisco, where he could line up in the slot, the backfield, and more.

Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned. McLaurin was injured in Week 3 and missed several weeks. He returned in Week 8, was reinjured and missed a few more weeks. Running back Austin Ekeler was lost for the season in Week 2. Wide receiver Noah Brown barely played. Suddenly, Samuel was forced into more of a traditional role and, while he had a productive season, it wasn’t what the Commanders envisioned.

Samuel’s numbers were solid: 72 receptions (second-most in career), 727 receiving yards (fourth-most in career), 5 receiving touchdowns (third-most in career), 75 rushing yards and 1 rushing touchdown. However, his 10.1 yards per reception was the lowest in his career. Much of that was a result of Kliff Kingsbury’s offensive scheme, which was centered around a lot of screens to Samuel to allow him to run after the catch.

Still, it was clear that Samuel had plenty left to give. But will he return to the Commanders in 2026?

It doesn’t sound like he will. Fantasy football analyst Matthew Berry was in Indianapolis last week and shared many things he heard around the NFL combine.

Also, as long as we are talking Washington, I don’t expect Deebo Samuel to return to the team. 

It’s not really a surprise when you consider that the Commanders have a new offense. David Blough replaced Kliff Kingsbury as offensive coordinator and plans to run an offense similar to what Ben Johnson runs with the Bears, which features more under center, a renewed focus on the running game and fewer horizontal routes.

Samuel turned 30 this year. It’s unlikely he’ll receive a significant long-term deal. Spotrac estimates Samuel’s value at $15.8 million and receiving a two-year deal worth $31.5 million.

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: Deebo Samuel not expected to return in 2026