Jan 5, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (85) and wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. (1) look on after losing to the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images

Former 49ers teammate defends Commanders’ Deebo Samuel

Originally posted on Washington Commanders on SI
By Caleb Skinner | Last updated Jun 13, 2025 10:00 AM ET

The Washington Commanders have just finished up their latest installment of their offseason program, with mandatory minicamp coming to a close. Next, players will get a bit of off time to go over what they were able to learn over the past few weeks before returning in mid-July for training camp.

The Commanders are looking to take the next step after reaching the NFC Championship in 2024, reaching and winning the Super Bowl.

The front office did a fantastic job once again this offseason to build a contending team, with major pieces being added. One of the biggest additions for the Commanders this offseason was wide receiver Deebo Samuel.

Samuel's time in San Francisco came to a disgruntled ending, but he now has new life in Washington, looking to be a valuable asset for Kliff Kingsbury, Jayden Daniels, and the offense.

The veteran wideout has been putting in the time this offseason to get in shape and has been able to put some of that on display throughout practice. However, a recent video emerged of Samuel perhaps not playing at a speed during practice that represents a player of his caliber.

Many have already come to Samuel's defense on the matter, but it was a familiar face in former teammate George Kittle who publicly made comments regarding what was seen on the video, stating, "It's called group install when players jog thru plays. Knock it off".

It’s called group install when players jog thru plays. Knock it off
— George Kittle (@gkittle46) June 12, 2025

The casual fan might not understand this, but Kittle is right. Coaches don't necessarily need guys to be going full speed this time of year. There is plenty of time to go full speed later in training camp and as the regular season looms closer, not during mandatory minicamp.

Risking injury during group install sessions is the last thing the Commanders, or any NFL team for that matter, wants to happen. Losing a player of Samuel's caliber would be a huge blow to what they hope to achieve in 2025, and let's not forget that fellow wide receiver Noah Brown just suffered an injury during minicamp.

Samuel has seen a slight decline in play, but is expecting a bounce-back season. He will likely be instrumental in being able to spread defenses out, especially with a potent run game and Terry McLaurin drawing the eyes of defensive coordinators. Samuel can continue to run through these early practices "half speed" until it is time for the real show.