The San Francisco 49ers did want to rebuild their roster by letting go of some players. But Deebo Samuel was never on that list. That’s understandable. Why would any team let a player with over 4,000 career receiving yards leave for another NFC team? But Deebo had made up his mind. And Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch let that happen out of all their love and respect for the WR. “For John and Kyle to send me to a team in the NFC that was almost a Super Bowl contender. It just shows you the type of love and relationship that we have,” Deebo shared.

Samuel eventually left Kyle Shanahan behind on the West Coast. So now, it’s time for a new team, a new scheme, and a fresh start. Interestingly, Deebo will have a new team and a fresh start. But the playbook… that might remain pretty much the same. Here’s the scoop: On Tuesday, Commanders HC Dan Quinn joined Rich Eisen on his show. The host asked Quinn what kind of playbook he’d use for the wideout.

“Are we going to see the same Deebo Samuel in Washington as we’ve seen in San Francisco?” And it looks like Dan will be using a playbook somewhat similar to Shanahan’s, just with his own flavor added. “I would say similar, but I wouldn’t say the same. And that’s kind of what’s fun about it, you know,” said the Commanders’ HC. “Adding new people in, you know what things you know to do. The nice part about when you do trade for somebody, or in the draft as well, you find these unique things that a player has. And man, does he have them,” Quinn added. Well, we’ll most likely see Deebo playing his same hybrid WR/RB style, just wearing Commanders gear this time.

The Niners had a disappointing season last year, finishing 6-11. When it came to Deebo’s performance, the wideout didn’t deliver the kind of big games he’s usually known for. Throughout the season, he even faced some heat from fans for not putting up those magic numbers. In December, the 29-year-old posted on X, “Not struggling at all, just not getting the ball!“, a message he later deleted. So, it was clear there were some disagreements between the Niners and their star WR. And Deebo, in search of a better opportunity, chose to leave.

Well, as Dan Quinn looks forward to adding some of his flavor to Deebo’s playbook, the HC also got candid about his plans for Jayden Daniels.

Dan Quinn’s plans for Jayden Daniels 

Jayden was undoubtedly the best rookie QB of 2024. In his debut year, the LSU alum earned Offensive Rookie of the Year honors and made the Pro Bowl. Daniels racked up 3,568 yards in the regular season and 25 TDs, tying 10th in the league. He led the Commanders to the divisional round, reigniting hopes among fans for a successful Super Bowl run. Now, with a stronger team around him, all eyes are on how the QB performs in his second year. Rich Eisen recently asked Quinn about his plans for Jayden heading into this new season.

Talking about that, Quinn shared how the Commanders’ coaching squad deeply focused on developing their young QB. The HC explained that they leaned on veteran Marcus Mariota to help guide Daniels through the early stages. “So, going to battle to make sure, hitting all the markers along the way, we wanted to make sure that we weren’t going to miss one step along his development,” Quinn said.

Giving Jayden and the rest of the team their flowers, Dan Quinn pointed out how the group has been putting in more and more work. Not just on the field, but in building real connections with each other. “There’s a lot of belief in him amongst his teammates. And that’s ’cause he does put that work in and he goes to prove it, which I love about him,” the HC shared.

He talked about his expectations for Jayden after a standout rookie season. Quinn explained that the team had a clear plan going into the offseason. That plan focused on what Jayden and the rest of his rookie class wanted to improve. With some new guys coming in, Quinn talked about how important it is to figure out the best way to use them. And what roles they’ll play in the offense.

So with Deebo Samuel in the mix and fresh talent on the roster, could this year be when Jayden Daniels flips the script in Washington?