Deebo Samuel may be Commanders' most important offensive piece

In this story:
Washington Commanders wide receiver Deebo Samuel is excited about his future after a successful Week 1 debut against the New York Giants.
Commanders head coach Dan Quinn thinks Samuel can have a strong impact on the offense throughout the entire season.
“Yeah, it was about what I expected because it was touches on kickoff return and runs and passes and so we missed the connection also on I think one of the deep over routes. So, that's one of the things that he's just awesome at. And so, making sure we nail those two where it goes. But I think he was probably everywhere near around 10 touches somewhere into that space, so I thought that's a good start to things for sure," Quinn said.
READ MORE: Dan Quinn’s honest thoughts on how the Commanders performed in Week 1

Samuel has strong impact for Commanders
Samuel scored a rushing touchdown from 19 yards out in the win against the Giants. It was the 21st rushing touchdown of his career and his first since Week 1 of last season.
Quinn thinks the Commanders offense is clicking alongside Samuel, giving him the opportunity to shine in future weeks.
“Yeah, I would definitely want [T] Laremy [Tunsil] being my bodyguard, meaning the way out front, onto that play. You saw [C Tyler] Biadasz, I think it might have been Bill [Croskey-Merritt] out in front, but that's the type of thing that can make difficult to defend because defending the wide parts of the field as well as down the field shots, that's what makes defending an offense difficult when it's laterally and down the field," Quinn said.
Samuel and the Commanders are getting back in action later this week on Thursday Night Football against the 1-0 Green Bay Packers. Kickoff from inside Lambeau Field is set for 8:15 p.m. ET. Fans can watch the game on Amazon Prime Video.
READ MORE: Commanders’ revamped offense shows promise with Deebo Samuel debut
Stick with CommanderGameday and the Locked On Commanders podcast for more FREE coverage of the Washington Commanders throughout the 2025 season.
More Washington Commanders News
• Jayden Daniels has a simple answer for those worried about Commanders
• 'You just never know': Commanders OC on the team's first big test
• Commanders coach Dan Quinn explains Jayden Daniels' greatness
• Dan Quinn gives perfect response to Commanders trying to repeat last year's success

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several On SI sites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid and resides in Central Florida. He graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener.
Follow @JeremyBrener