Deebo Samuel is returning to San Francisco. The 49ers are set to sign the veteran wide receiver, in response to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. It’ll be a one-year deal price as much as $7MM for the previous 49ers second-round pick.
Samuel, after all, spent the primary six seasons of his profession in San Francisco, where he emerged as an All-Pro WR in Kyle Shanahan‘s offense. His best season got here in 2021, when he finished with 1,770 yards from scrimmage and 14 touchdowns. While he wouldn’t come near matching those numbers during his final three years with the franchise, he still topped 800 yards from scrimmage each season between 2022 and 2024.
Following persistent trade rumors, Samuel was finally dealt to the Commanders last offseason for a fifth-round pick. The wideout finished his lone 12 months in Washington with 72 receptions, the second-highest total of his profession. On the flip side, he was limited to only 802 yards from scrimmage, his worst numbers since his seven-game showing as a sophomore. Per Jordan Schultz, Samuel considered returning for a second season with the Commanders, but the chance to rejoin the 49ers was “too enticing.”
The 49ers had a sudden need for reinforcement at receiver. We learned yesterday that wideout Ricky Pearsall missed practice while coping with “swelling within the posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee” — the identical injury that cost him a lot time last 12 months. The problem is reportedly cause for “concern” throughout the organization, and there’s belief Pearsall might have to go under the knife. That route could force him to miss regular season games.
Offseason acquisition Christian Kirk can be nursing an injury, because the receiver was forced off the practice field this week with a hamstring issue. Kirk handled persistent hamstring injuries throughout the 2025 campaign, forcing him to miss a handful of games during his lone season in Houston.
The 2 injuries meant offseason addition Mike Evans represented the one reliable healthy option on the position. Otherwise, Brock Purdy was eyeing the likes of rookie second-round pick De’Zhaun Stribling, former draft picks Jordan Watkins and Jacob Cowing, and acquisitions Demarcus Robinson and Malik Turner as healthy camp targets. Even when the receivers corps was whole, it seems like Samuel would have a task, as Matt Barrows of The Athletic passes along that the veteran is anticipated to slip back into his familiar ‘Z’ role within the 49ers offense.
While Samuel is now off the board, quite a few notable veteran WRs remain unsigned, including Stefon Diggs and Keenan Allen. With Samuel now out of the image in Washington, ESPN’s John Keim notes that Diggs stays into consideration for the Commanders.