The Washington Commanders are about to place their cards on the table heading into a crucial free agency period for the franchise. Fans and insiders are expecting fireworks, and general manager Adam Peters has a significant amount to get through to provide more flexibility during the 2026 NFL Draft.
He's already begun to re-sign his own free agents to bolster depth and create additional competition. Those were lesser names who won't have cost much to keep around. But it's a different story where wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. is concerned.
Peters hasn't revealed one way or another what he has planned with Samuel. The versatile offensive weapon is expected to test free agency, and a robust market could emerge. Some rumors suggest the Commanders are going to move on, but there are merits to bringing him back on a cost-effective deal as a complementary piece for quarterback Jayden Daniels.
Commanders may not want to pay what Deebo Samuel is projected to get in free agency
If there is a bidding war for his services, that complicates matters. And according to the leading salary-cap analysts at Spotrac, the South Carolina product's price point has just gone up.
They now project Samuel to get $15.77 million per season on a two-year, $31.54 million deal. Even though it would only be the 25th-highest annual average salary for a wide receiver league-wide, it's high enough to give the Commanders reasons to pause.
Obviously, this is only a price point projection. At the same time, Samuel is well aware that this could be his last chance to get a lucrative extension, either in Washington or elsewhere. It's also his first time he's got the chance to experience free agency, so he'll take his time and consider all possibilities before deciding on the next move.
The Commanders would probably like a quick resolution on whether they intend to keep Samuel, which could still go either way. Top-end free agents like Alec Pierce and Jauan Jennings might not last long once the legal tampering window opens, so waiting around for Samuel is not an option. If the decision is to walk away, Peters must identify potential replacements and strike with conviction.
It's starting to look like Samuel's big trade to the Commanders will be a short-term arrangement. Washington got good returns from the fifth-round pick it sent to the San Francisco 49ers for the player, but mitigating circumstances meant the offense never had a chance to build any momentum, as it was never really at full strength last season.
Moving to Washington was also beneficial for Samuel. He stayed relatively healthy, was focused throughout, and produced decent numbers in difficult circumstances.
Now, it's time to cash in, and the price could be too high for the Commanders when it comes to the crunch.