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USATSI

The Washington Commanders made a splash to kick off March, acquiring San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel in exchange for a fifth-round pick. Samuel had requested a trade from San Francisco earlier in the offseason, and will now join one of the top offenses in the league in 2025. The Commanders will be taking on Samuel's $17.55 million salary for the 2025 season, which is the final year of the wide receiver's contract.

Behind rising quarterback Jayden Daniels, the Commanders made a surprising run to the NFC Championship game after winning five games in a row to close out the regular season. Washington needed a receiver to complement Terry McLaurin, and Samuel fits the bill. He was deployed in a variety of ways in Kyle Shanahan's San Francisco offense, and Washington offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury can use that as a blueprint to get the most out of Samuel. The receiver had a relatively down season with 670 receiving yards, 136 rush yards and four total touchdowns as the 49ers struggled with injuries and inconsistent play. Samuel was a monster in 2023 with 892 receiving yards, 225 rush yards and 12 total touchdowns. The Commanders are hoping he can get back to that level with Daniels entering his second season.

The 49ers will likely be in the market for a wide receiver with Samuel's departure. Brandon Aiyuk's future is also murky after the receiver demanded a trade last offseason before ultimately returning to the team. Aiyuk is coming off a torn ACL. Ricky Pearsall, who the 49ers drafted in 2024, will likely have a bigger role in the offense. Pearsall missed the early portion of the season recovering from a gunshot injury he suffered in the offseason attempting to stop a robbery. In the final two games of the season, Pearsall accounted for 210 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Jauan Jennings, who had a career season in Aiyuk's absence with 975 receiving yards, is set to be the top target in this offense. The 49ers are set to hand quarterback Brock Purdy a massive extension, which likely made Samuel a cap casualty.

According to CBS Sports' Stephen Oh, the Commanders are projected to win 10.1 games with Samuel on the roster. That's a slight bump from the 9.7 projected wins they had prior to the trade. Washington now has a 72.3% chance (+15.7%) to make the playoffs after the Samuel trade, and a 4.5% chance (+1.7%) to win the Super Bowl. The Commanders are now +1900 to win the Super Bowl at DraftKings Sportsbook.

The 49ers are projected to win 9.8 games, down slightly from 10.0 projected wins before trading Samuel. San Francisco has a 64.8% chance (-4%) to make the playoffs according to Oh, with a 0.9% chance (-0.3%) to win the Super Bowl. The oddsmakers still believe in the 49ers, who actually have shorter odds than the Commanders to lift the championship at +1400. Samuel is +15000 to win Offensive Player of the Year in 2025 at FanDuel.