Former 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel was a fan of Commanders quarterback and reigning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels before being traded to Washington in mid-March.
Thanks to star San Francisco wideout Brandon Aiyuk, who played with Daniels for one season at Arizona State, Samuel grew to admire Daniels after hearing plenty of praise about the signal-caller.
Samuel detailed how Aiyuk helped him appreciate Daniels’ game during his introductory press conference with Washington.
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"Brandon Aiyuk is one of Jayden's best friends,” Samuel told reporters. “So I've kind of been watching him for a little minute now because me and B.A. are so close. Just to see him grow and see how well he played last year I was like, man why not try to come over here and help in any aspect that I can."
Samuel requested a trade from the 49ers in February and happily was moved to a familiar situation. And Daniels, who already played with one San Francisco star, adds another to his repertoire.
Samuel added that he kept a tab on Daniels during his dominant 2023 season at LSU, in which he took home the Heisman Award after throwing for 3,812 yards and 40 touchdowns.
"He was at LSU. That's all B.A. used to talk about, 'My boy is about to win the Heisman. My boy is about to do this, my boy's about to do that,’ Samuel recalled. “He won the Heisman and came to the league and played extremely well.
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“Everything Aiyuk said would happen, happened.”
Aiyuk’s friendships with Daniels and Samuel have been well-documented over the years. Now, Aiyuk’s two friends and former teammates are together with the Commanders, while he is across the country with the 49ers.