Deebo Samuel took a one-year sojourn to Washington D.C., before returning to the San Francisco 49ers ahead of the 2026 season
The veteran receiver said Saturday that his homecoming to the Niners has been seamless
“It kind of felt like I didn’t even go nowhere, to be honest,” Samuel said,s going on. I know the people here. Staff still the same.’ So it’s kind of like the same for real.”
Last offseason, San Francisco shipped Samuel to the Commanders for a fifth-round pick. However, Samuel said there was zero animosity with general manager John Lynch and coach Kyle Shanahan in his return
“Conversations with me, John and Kyle have just always kind of been the same,” Samuel said. “It was just a matter of time before it happened.”
Samuel generated 727 yards and five touchdowns on 72 catches in 16 games with the Commanders last year. He took just 17 carries for 75 yards and another score, significantly fewer rushing attempts than the previous four seasons under Shanahan, when he averaged 45 carries a campaign
The Niners inked Samuel to a one-year, $7 million deal on Friday. With Ricky Pearsallexpected to miss the entire season following knee surgery, the 30-year-old Samuel should have a significant role in Shanahan’s offense in 2026 alongside newcomers Mike Evans, Christian Kirk and rookie De’Zhaun Stribling. Lynch also noted that Samuel is expected to play a key role in the return game
“The dynamic kickoff has brought the kickoff return back to the game,” Lynch said. “You’ve got to be really well positioned. … He’s committed to kind of doing that. … We look forward to using him there. But then offensively, you guys have seen him and I think Kyle has a great vision in being real creative in how we use him.”
Samuel might have had to wait until the end of July to find a home, but he landed in a spot to maximize his talents in Year 8
