After trying to acquire him last season, Ron Rivera has finally been reunited with Curtis Samuel. The former Panthers receiver has come to terms on a three-year, $34.5 million deal with Washington, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Rivera tried to trade for Samuel during the 2020 season but Panthers then general manager Marty Hurney refused, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
One of CBS Sports top-rated free agents heading into the day, Samuel caught 185 of 293 targets for 2,087 yards and 14 touchdowns during his four seasons in Carolina. A versatile player, Samuel also rushed for five touchdowns while amassing nearly 3,000 all-purpose yards. Last season, he gained over 1,000 all-purpose yards for the first time despite receiving just five starts in 15 games.
Samuel will also be reunited in Washington with former Ohio State teammates Terry McLaurin and Chase Young. McLaurin, the Football Team's leading receiver each of the past two seasons, quickly reacted to the news of Samuel's signing.
"We really talked about this in the dorms freshman year," McLaurin tweeted with a fire emoji.
Despite not acquiring Samuel last season, Rivera's team won the NFC East after winning five of the last seven regular-season games. McLaurin paced Washington's offense with 1,118 receiving yards, while the Football Team received a stellar rookie campaign from running back Antonio Gibson, whose ran for 11 scores despite missing two games due to injury. Washington also received a breakout rookie season from Young, whose 7.5 sacks, four forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries earned him Defensive Rookie of the Year honors.
The Panthers lost Samuel, but they were able to bolster their defense Wednesday with the reported signing of Haason Reddick, who recorded 12.5 sacks for the Cardinals in 2020.
