'I just couldn't breathe, literally couldn't breathe, couldn't move' – Deebo Samuel opens up about significant illness and the Commanders offense

Samuel would then go to the hospital with his chest inflamed, where he remained for another three or four days. Then he checked out of the hospital and returned to work to support his team. It took a while for him to feel fine again after dealing with the difficulty of breathing for weeks.

“Kind of probably towards the end where I kind of got my breathing back and felt like normal," Samuel added. "Coming off pneumonia, it's kind of hard to breathe, so it's kind of hard to build that capacity back up, but towards the end of the year, I felt fine.”

Even with the longevity of feeling the effects of pneumonia, Samuel still pushed through it and only missed the final game of the season. That's nine more games of having a hard time breathing, which is insane to think about with his role.

Samuel's thoughts on Kliff, Jayden, and the young bucks

What WR in the league wouldn't want to come play with Jayden Daniels and Kliff Kingsbury after last season? Samuel is a big fan of what he saw on the field, and he's ready to contribute to the party in his own way.

“Nah, it's real fun. It's real fun," Samuel said about playing with Daniels. "Offense is fun, [Offensive Coordinator] Kliff [Kingsbury] does a great job with calling plays, putting guys in position to make plays.”

He also sees a lot of promise in the young core of the WR room and loves being someone they can come to whenever they need it. "The rookies we got," Samuel said while smiling. "I think they're a little ahead of the game by how smart they are and how understanding they are of the offense."

Rookie Jaylin Lane and undrafted rookie Ja'Corey Brooks have both made a lot of headlines in training camp already, which backs up the praise from Samuel.

Samuel knows that this is an important season, as he's fighting for a new contract and wants to show everyone that he still has a lot left in the tank. Washington can capitalize on that hunger and motivation, and he's honestly in the perfect place to succeed with his fit in the offense.

Daniels has already built a connection with Samuel due to Terry McLaurin being absent from practice, and the two can continue to build that rapport as the season gets closer. Having a player like Samuel can be the missing piece that pushes the Commanders to the next level of reaching the Super Bowl.