3 Reasons Why 49ers Bringing Deebo Samuel Back Makes Perfect Sense

After one year away in Washington, wide receiver Deebo Samuel has re-signed with the San Francisco 49ers. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Samuel has signed a one-year extension worth $7 million.

The Niners drafted Samuel, a South Carolina graduate, 36^th overall in 2019. From there on, he caught 334 passes for 4,792 yards and has scored 42 touchdowns in 81 games as a Niner.

During that time, Samuel earned All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors, won an NFC championship, played in a Super Bowl, and became the only receiver in Super Bowl history to rush for 53 yards.

In 2022, Samuel had requested a trade from the Niners but decided to sign a new contract, keeping him in the Bay Area for the next three seasons. The Niners eventually traded Samuel to the Washington Commanders ahead of the 2025 season in exchange for a fifth-round draft pick.

Despite the Commanders’ offense taking a nosedive due to Jayden Daniels’ season-ending injury, Samuel still finished as the team’s top receiver, racking up 727 yards and 5 touchdowns on 72 catches.

After the season ended, the Commanders showed reluctance to extend Samuel’s stay in DC. NFL experts linked Samuel to several teams, including the Kansas City Chiefs and the Baltimore Ravens, and even speculated a return to the Niners.

In the meantime, the 30-year-old announced that he still has the hunger in him to play more years. Samuel said on his YouTube channel:

Going on Year 8 [in the NFL]… [I] still feel like I got a lot, at least like three, four good years left… All the free agency stuff going on, waking up in the morning, looking at your phone, seeing if your agent hit you and was like, ‘This team is interested,’ or things along those lines. And it’s been kind of like a roller coaster. [I’ve] been through a lot, not just ball. With me and how I play this game, it’s just like, no matter what I’m going through, no matter what I’m doing, if I’m able to perform, I’m going to go out there and put it on the line for my team.

The Niners All-Pro fullback Kyle Juszczyk teased Samuel’s return by tweeting, “I have a guest house with your name on it” on July 20. Ten days later, Samuel signed a one-year contract with the Niners.

Deebo Samuel will be the No. 2 wide receiver on the 49ers

Deebo Samuel choosing the 49ers over other teams makes sense. The Niners lost Jauan Jennings in the offseason, and Brandon Aiyuk‘s time with the team could end at any time.

Then there’s former first-round draft pick Ricky Pearsall, who can’t seem to stay healthy. Per Matt Maiocco, the former Florida man will miss the rest of the preseason after suffering a knee injury. This will likely affect his game time during the regular season.

The Niners signed Mike Evans as their lead receiver. The Super Bowl winner matched Hall of Famer Jerry Rice‘s consecutive 1000 receiving season tally in Tampa Bay before deciding to sign with the Niners for a fresh new challenge. Unless something major happens, Evans will start as the de facto WR1.

Additionally, the Niners brought in veteran Christian Kirk, but he’s dealing with a calf strain. So, Samuel could take up the mantle of WR2 in his stead.

Familiarity with the offense

Not much has changed since the last time Samuel was part of the Niners’ offense. Sure, they have a new offensive coordinator, Klay Kubiak, but the 37-year-old has been on the Niners staff since 2021, and more importantly, Kyle Shanahan calls most of the shots on offense anyway.

Moreover, it shouldn’t take Samuel too long to rediscover the connection with quarterback Brock Purdy. In 2023, Samuel recorded 892 yards and scored 7 touchdowns while receiving from Purdy.

Financial flexibility

Samuel signed a one-year deal worth $7 million per Spotrac. Spotrac also revealed that the 49ers hold approximately $69.1 million to $71.2 million in available 2026 salary cap space. The Niners wouldn’t take a monumental monetary hit even if Samuel failed to have a productive season.

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