The San Francisco 49ers have revamped their wideout group this offseason with the arrivals of Mike Evans and Christian Kirk. Moreover, the Niners also drafted De’Zhaun Stribling in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
However, could the 49ers be looking at a reunion with Deebo Samuel, who remains a free agent after spending the 2025 NFL season with the Washington Commanders?
During his six seasons with the 49ers, Samuel recorded 334 catches for 4,792 yards and scored 42 touchdowns in 81 games, per StatMuse. Last season with the Commanders, played 713 total snaps, leading to a 69.4 overall PFF grade.
Samuel hauled in 72 receptions on 99 targets for 727 receiving yards and five touchdowns while averaging 10.1 yards per reception and generating 471 yards after the catch.
Amid a possible reunion, KNBR’s Larry Krueger shared his thoughts on a potential second stint for Samuel.
“I think Deebo would love to come back, but the Niners don’t want to clog up their wide receiver position and block young, ascending players who could break out in training camp, be cheaper and maybe even better than what Deebo was when he was last here,” Krueger said in a July 19 video. “Now, let’s talk about this for a second because Deebo is 30, not 35. He’s 30…
“I don’t know that he’s ever going to reach that 2021 All-Pro Deebo, when he scored 14 touchdowns and was one of the best players in pro football. But according to the people I’ve talked to who are around him, and from some of the pictures I’ve seen, he appears to be in very good shape.”
49ers Have Question Marks With Their Wideouts
Nonetheless, Krueger does mention why Samuel could be on the 49ers’ radar, given that there are players with injury history and question marks.
“The 49ers’ wide receiver position, if you look closer, could be a little like cotton candy,” Krueger added. “It might be a little bit of fool’s gold. There are a lot of names here, but there are also a lot of question marks. This looks like it could be a very deep position, but it could instantly become a very thin position as well.”
Niners Urged to Reunite With Deebo Samuel
Recently, 49ers on SI’s Grant Cohn stated that the Niners should consider reuniting with Samuel, as he would give the team more depth at a position where there are concerns about whether the wideouts can stay healthy.
“I just think it would be so on brand for the Niners when they finally cut Brandon Aiyuk to change the narrative, spin the narrative and bring back Deebo Samuel,” Cohn said in a July 4 video on his YouTube channel.
“Right now they don’t need Deebo Samuel because they have Mike Evans, De’Zhaun Stribling and Ricky Pearsall. But Ricky Pearsall hasn’t had a full offseason in the NFL. He’s in and out constantly. I can’t remember him playing three practices in a row.
“Then you’ve got Mike Evans at 33 on the other side and a rookie as the backup. It just seems so easy for the Niners to bring back Deebo. If Ricky pulls his hamstring or Mike Evans pulls his hamstring, who do you think is going to be the next guy they call? They love Deebo Samuel.”
49ers Receive Clear Deebo Samuel Message Before Training Camp