The San Francisco 49ers had a reunion with Dre Greenlaw earlier this offseason, signing him to a one-year deal after his one year away. Now, the same has happened with Deebo Samuel, who returned on a one-year deal after spending the 2025 season with the Washington Commanders.
Samuel was one of the veteran wide receivers still unsigned as training camp began, and the fit made sense with San Francisco after Ricky Pearsall experienced knee soreness that will now cost him the entire 2026 season.
Samuel
slots into that No. 2 wide receiver role for San Francisco, who also has Mike Evans out with a quad injury, and will look to make an immediate impact in training camp fitting back in with his old teammates. And it’s safe to say they’re excited for his return.
“Oh, I’m so fired up, man,” running back Christian McCaffrey said of Samuel’s return. “Yeah, Deebo, he has such a presence on the field. When he’s in the game, you have to account for him in so many different ways. And, you know, I look at like a guy like Dre Greenlaw on defense. When you get him back, it’s just something about that gives you a little bit of confidence. And it’s the same with Deebo. He gives us all so much confidence. You know when he’s in the game, he’s got your back. He’s such a fun dude to play with and a game breaker.”
Samuel’s versatility had been a huge part of his game in San Francisco, where he was utilized as a runner and a receiver. The rushing element wasn’t tapped into much last year in Washington, and it’s unclear how much of a role he’ll see there for the 49ers this year. But he is being used as a kick returner, adding to his versatility.
That sentiment was echoed by fullback Kyle Juszczyk, who added that Samuel looks in great shape early on in camp.
“Deebo is the best,” Juzczyk said. “He is such an incredible teammate, he’s such a good friend. He’s an incredible football player, so we are really happy to have him in the locker room just because he brings the best vibes and positivity. But we are also happy to have him on the field because he’s still got juice and he can still go out there and make good plays.”
“He came in and he looks like he’s in phenomenal shape. And first day in pads, he’s making an impact right away. Looked like the old Deebo. I can’t say enough positive things about how excited we are to have him.”
Samuel and Trent Williams have also maintained a close relationship, and the left tackle believes the wideout will bounce back in 2026 after dealing with some adversity this offseason.
“Since he left, we still remain super, super close,” Williams said of Samuel. “We talk at least once a week, sometimes more. Seen him a lot in person. So honestly, I’m happy because I know that we’re going to get the best version of Deebo that the NFL has seen. He’s coming from a situation where he’s kind of been doubted a little bit.
“And, you know, I think that may be the first piece of adversity he’s ran into as a football player because he’s been uber talented on every level. Every time he touched the ball, he’s exciting to see. And that’s the crazy thing about the NFL. You go somewhere and the team don’t do as good, and then everybody kind of writes you off. I love it though. That’s one of the things that adversity that every player needs, that gas in the tank that every player needs to go and, and push themselves past limits they haven’t seen.”
Samuel mentioned himself that he had been regularly communicating with Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch, so it wasn’t a surprise that a return happened following the Pearsall injury.
The 49ers need to improve their separation at wide receiver, which was where Pearsall was expected to contribute the most. But Shanahan has worked with Samuel’s skill set before and now has the task of finding ways to utilize him in the offense alongside Mike Evans.
