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Washington Commanders WR Deebo Samuel.
There is no shortage of needs across the Las Vegas Raiders‘ roster, but wide receiver stands out as one of the biggest. Jakobi Meyers was the team’s best wide receiver last season, but he got traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Tre Tucker has shown some flashes, but he might be a WR3 at best. The Raiders need to add a veteran to the room while Jack Bech and Dont’e Thornton continue to develop.
New head coach Klint Kubiak just coached one of the best wide receiver seasons in recent memory, with Jaxon Smith-Njigba winning Offensive Player of the Year. He understands the value of the position and could look to add a familiar face.
Washington Commanders wide receiver Deebo Samuel is set to be a free agent this offseason. FOX Sports’ Greg Auman predicted that the Raiders will sign Samuel in free agency.
“Samuel, 30, has seen his value decline. After being traded from San Francisco to Washington, he agreed to a lesser deal worth $17 million,” Auman wrote. “His one-year production for the Commanders was lackluster: 72 catches for 727 yards and five touchdowns. The same player who once led the league at 18.2 yards per catch averaged a career-low 10.1 in 2025, and the versatile playmaker who once rushed for 365 yards and eight touchdowns was barely used as a ballcarrier, getting 75 yards and a single score. Can a creative offensive mind get more out of his skill set? Perhaps, but it’s likely he’ll get less this time around, closer to $12-14 million a year.”
Kubiak Has Worked With Samuel Before
Samuel hasn’t been the same All-Pro player he previously was in recent years. At his peak, his skillset was very unique, but it was hard to maintain that as injuries began to pile up.
If any coach might be able to get him to be a major impact player again, it might be Kubiak. He was the San Francisco 49ers‘ passing game coordinator in 2023 when Samuel was still with the team.
He had 12 total touchdowns that season. The good thing about Samuel is that he really shouldn’t cost much in free agency. He’d be a cheap veteran option for Kubiak to get creative with. He wouldn’t be the true No. 1 wide receiver the Raiders need, but he’d be an upgrade over what they had.
What About Tyreek Hill?
Perhaps the most interesting potential option for the Raiders at wide receiver would be Tyreek Hill. He’s coming off a devastating injury and will be 32 when the season starts.
He’s not going to be the dominant player he was in the past, but if he’s healthy, he can still be a serious weapon.
Hill might end up being more expensive than Samuel, but he has bigger potential to make an impact. That said, he’s likely going to want to go to a team that has a chance to compete for a Super Bowl. A reunion with the Kansas City Chiefs might be in the cards. Regardless, it seems unlikely that the Raiders will be the team Hill wants to play with in 2026.
Austin Boyd has covered the Las Vegas Raiders and Los Angeles Lakers for Heavy.com since 2019. A Los Angeles native now based in Las Vegas, his featured work at Heavy includes interviews with NFL stars Darren Waller and Joe Montana, and a behind-the-scenes look at “The Shop.” More about Austin Boyd
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