Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel doesn’t have his former wide receiver Deebo Samuel in Miami. But he’s found someone else. That player is wide receiver Malik Washington. The coach even gave Washington a new nickname, “Maleebo.” This is because the WR’s skill set reminded him of how Samuel played.

Washington, however, isn’t too fond of the name. “He actually calls me ‘Maleebo’ every now and then,” Washington said before admitting, “I don’t like it.” While he joked about it, the WR looks at the comparison in a new light. He went on to praise Samuel, saying he hopes to learn more from the wide receiver’s game as he creates his own name in the league. “He’s probably one of the best at just going into the backfield and making plays happen,” Washington told the reporter.

“So he’s been a huge guy I’ve looked up to as far as what he does in the run game and how versatile he is, kick returns, you saw he had a big one this past weekend. He’s playing great and I kind of want to, not necessarily follow in those footsteps, but kind of create my own game in that sense and be as versatile,” he explained, as he likely referred to Samuel’s 69-yard kick return against the Las Vegas Raiders.

Washington has been putting in the same grind. So far this season, he has been doing a little bit of everything for Miami. Through the first three weeks, he’s tallied 156 kick return yards, 96 punt return yards, 52 rushing yards, and 34 receiving yards.

On the other hand, Samuel has 1,180 career rushing yards, 21 rushing touchdowns, and has had an impeccable return game. He is the first player in NFL history to record 1,400 receiving yards and 300 rushing yards in a single season. But his best time on the field was when he earned a Pro Bowl honor under McDaniel.

The two forged a bond during their time together in the San Francisco 49ers, when McDaniel was the offensive coordinator. He was instrumental in moving Samuel around the offense. “I love that guy to death, he’s one of the best coaches I’ve ever been around,” Samuel said. “He’s not just a coach, but he’s a mentor, a leader. He’s a guy that I would love to be around outside of the stadium.”

While Washington hopes to make an impact under coach McDaniel, his playing style has recently attracted attention for the wrong reasons.

Malik Washington gets fined $5,611

Washington got into a helmet-to-helmet collision with Safety Craig Woodson in the third quarter. Fortunately, the players were not injured. Woodson was rushed for evaluation and later cleared to return before the quarter ended.

Replay, however, showed Washington lowering his head right before the contact, which made the clash more severe. That got Washington fined $5,611 for unnecessary roughness as per the league’s Gameday Accountability report.

“It is a foul if a player: (a) lowers his head and makes forcible contact with his helmet against an opponent; or (b) uses any part of his helmet or facemask to butt or make forcible contact to an opponent’s head or neck,” Rule 12 Section 2 Article 10 of the league’s rulebook reported.

Washington has had penalties against the New England Patriots in the past, too. Just last season, he was flagged twice in their matchups. He received a blindside block penalty in Week 5 and an illegal motion call in Week 12. But penalties can cause trouble this season with the Dolphins sitting 0-3.

While the WR continues to elevate his game, the Dolphins will look to end the losing streak when they face the Jets.