Former New York Jets wide receiver Quincy Enunwa responds to Deebo Samuel comparison
University of Nebraska alum and former New York Jets wide receiver Quincy Enunwa has become one of the best athletes to follow on Twitter. Enunwa set out on a mission to “try and tweet a little more” in early December and has been very active on the platform ever since, consistently interacting with fans and providing honest commentary.
During the NFC championship game between the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams on Jan. 30, Jets X-Factor’s Vitor Paiva sent out a tweet comparing Enunwa to the 49ers’ Deebo Samuel – and Enunwa responded with appreciation the following day.
lol I appreciate this and who knows what I coulda been if I coulda stayed healthy. I think we have similar mentalities with the ball in our hands but he’s a different athlete. He’s more dynamic and I’m probably just stronger, but watching him play it might not be by that much.
— Quincy Enunwa (@QuincyEnunwa) January 31, 2022
“I appreciate this and who knows what I coulda [sic] been if I coulda [sic] stayed healthy,” Enunwa wrote. “I think we have similar mentalities with the ball in our hands but he’s a different athlete. He’s more dynamic and I’m probably just stronger, but watching him play it might not be by that much.”
During his time with the Jets, Enunwa was best known for his incredible playmaking ability with the football in his hands. The 6-foot-2, 225-pounder was ruthlessly physical and plowed through defenders with ease, but he also had impressive breakaway speed and short-area quickness for his size. Altogether, he was an absolute monster in the open field.
No player in the NFL today matches that description more than Samuel.
DEEBO FREAKING SAMUEL 🤯pic.twitter.com/dUt5xMzNuE
— 49ers on NBCS (@NBCS49ers) January 31, 2022
While Enunwa never hit the production heights that Samuel has, it is hard not to see a little bit of Deebo in Quincy.
Not a bad comp at all pic.twitter.com/LW9dlMXhrl
— Michael Nania (@Michael_Nania) January 31, 2022
Here is Geno Smith's TD pass to Enunwa. Jets trail Baltimore 10-7. #WVUPros #WVU pic.twitter.com/uzNOR6qulb
— WVUPros (@wvupros) October 23, 2016
A sixth-round draft pick of the Jets in 2014, Enunwa slowly developed into a highly promising weapon for New York by his third year. In 2016, Enunwa had a career-best season that featured 58 receptions for 857 yards and four touchdowns.
It had been a while since the Jets had a homegrown talent at the wide receiver position like Enunwa. He was the first wide receiver drafted by the Jets to have a season with over 850 receiving yards before turning 25 years old since Jerricho Cotchery in 2006. No other Jet has done it since.
Play: 👉 the Jet X Offseason Simulator
Injuries would rob Enunwa of his chance to build on the potential he showed early in his career, most notably a pair of season-ending neck injuries suffered in 2017 and 2019. He has not been on an NFL roster since the Jets released him from their reserve/PUP list with a failed physical designation on Aug. 3, 2020.
Quincy Enunwa comments on Jets’ coaching during his career
The Samuel comparison is not all that Enunwa dove into on Twitter.
Enunwa also wondered how things could have worked out if his coaches started feeding him the ball earlier in his career.
Appreciate you.
I’m definitely curious what everything would’ve looked like if my coaches knew what I could do from the beginning. I got my start as an extra blocker instead of a ball carrier so that changed my whole career trajectory.
— Quincy Enunwa (@QuincyEnunwa) January 31, 2022
“I’m definitely curious what everything would’ve looked like if my coaches knew what I could do from the beginning,” Enunwa wrote. “I got my start as an extra blocker instead of a ball carrier so that changed my whole career trajectory.”
After playing only one game in his rookie season, Enunwa played in 12 games the following year but only caught 22 passes as he was stuck behind the dynamic duo of Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker. He was best known for his blocking abilities at the time.
Enunwa also talked about his fit with the Jets’ 2018 offensive coordinator, Jeremy Bates.
Yeah Bates and I didn’t see eye to eye, but I think Johnny Mos offense woulda been fun. They had a good thing going with McCown, Kearse, and Robby but they let him go by the time I got back to play.
— Quincy Enunwa (@QuincyEnunwa) January 31, 2022
“Bates and I didn’t see eye to eye, but I think Johnny Mos (John Morton) offense woulda [sic] been fun,” Enunwa wrote. “They had a good thing going with McCown, Kearse, and Robby but they let him go by the time I got back to play.”
Enunwa’s 2016 breakout season came under offensive coordinator Chan Gailey. In 2017, the Jets let go of Gailey and replaced him with former Saints assistant John Morton. The Jets had a respectable offense while McCown was healthy, but Enunwa missed the entire season due to a neck injury. Robby Anderson and Jermaine Kearse were a solid duo under Morton.
Morton was surprisingly not retained after 2017 and New York replaced him with Jeremy Bates. Enunwa played 11 games that year but was not the player he was in 2016, catching 38 passes for 449 yards and one touchdown. Thus, it’s not surprising that Enunwa doesn’t think back fondly of his experience in that scheme.
