NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo did not make Deebo Samuel too happy at the end of an NFL Network interview when he appeared to accidentally reveal that the Commanders’ new wide receiver was dealing with a finger injury.
The awkward moment happened just as the interview was wrapping up and Garafolo began explaining why he wasn’t going to shake Samuel’s hand.
“Deebo Samuel joined us on Inside Training Camp live. Usually, I give a handshake when a guy leaves,” Garafolo said.
Then things quickly took a turn as Garafolo started to reveal too much, with Samuel looking less than thrilled.
“But I tried to shake your hand on the way up, you said, ‘No, no, no, no. I got a little — I jammed my finger today. Jammed my finger,” he said.
Seeing the unhappy look on Samuel’s face or NFL Network analyst Marc Ross, Garafolo paused and asked, “Oh, was I not supposed to say that?”
Ross indicated that he wasn’t, and Garafolo attempted to get out of the interview without anymore goofs.
“Alright, edit that part out,” Garafolo replied. “Strike that, it didn’t happen. I’ll give him a left-handed fist bump. I ain’t getting anything now.”
That led to Samuel eventually saying, “Damn, you fumbled the bag bad,” according to Awful Announcing.
Samuel’s reaction was a bit odd, considering that the jammed finger had already been reported on by others at training camp.
Samuel apparently jammed the finger after taking a pass from Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels that hit his hands, ESPN reported.
The veteran wide receiver was traded to the Commanders this past offseason and is coming off a 2024 campaign with the 49ers in which he recorded 51 catches for 670 yards and three touchdowns.
Samuel is hoping to rebound from last season with a Commanders team that is coming off a trip to the NFC Championship game.
