NFL Trade Rumors: Texans, Commanders showing "significant interest" in trading for $71,550,000 WR

It appears that both the Houston Texans and Washington Commanders are making an aggressive push to land wide receiver Deebo Samuel via trade. Samuel has requested a trade from the San Francisco 49ers, and his longtime team is doing everything it can to honor the veteran's wishes.

Samuel, who signed a three-year, $73.5 million contract extension with $58.1 million guaranteed with the 49ers back in 2022, is looking for a new home. According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz on X, the Houston Texans and Washington Commanders are the two most aggressive teams in pursuit of Samuel at the moment.

While other teams such as the Pittsburgh Steelers and Denver Broncos also appear interested, it's reported that Houston and Washington remain the frontrunners.

Samuel was once a focal point of the 49ers' offense given his versatile skillset. However, he has seen his production drop off in recent years by a significant margin. In 2024, Samuel hauled in 51 receptions for 670 yards and three touchdowns. Samuel has also been a force in the running game in past seasons but had one of his lowest-performing years on the ground in 2024 with 42 rushing attempts for 136 yards and a score.

With a change of scenery and offensive scheme, perhaps Samuel could revitalize those stats in a different uniform.

Houston Texans and Washington Commanders look to arm their young star quarterbacks

It's not a surprise that Houston Texans and Washington Commanders are in aggressive pursuit of Samuel's services. The two teams have a pair of the league's youngest and most promising quarterbacks in CJ Stroud and Jayden Daniels, respectively. Stroud just wrapped up his sophomore campaign, leading the Texans to another AFC Divisional round playoff game, where they were defeated by the Kansas City Chiefs.

NFL: AFC Divisional Round-Houston Texans at Kansas City Chiefs - Source: Imagn

Stroud entered the season with a plethora of weapons at receiver, including Nico Collins, Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell. However, both Diggs and Dell went down with season-ending injuries before the playoffs started, and Collins was out of action for several weeks during the regular season. Houston clearly needs depth at the receiver position, and Samuel could provide the franchise with exactly that.

Daniels, on the other hand, just finished up his rookie campaign in the NFL, and it was one for the history books. Washington reached the NFC Championship game under Daniels' leadership but was unfortunately thwarted by the eventual Super Bowl winners, the Philadelphia Eagles. Adding another weapon for Daniels opposite Terry McLaurin could be exactly what Washington needs to perhaps get to a Super Bowl opportunity.

Although Houston and Washington may remain the frontrunners for Samuels' services for now, things could always change as the NFL offseason continues to progress.