The San Francisco 49ers have done their best at reuniting with past players before Week 1 of the 2026 season. LB Dre Greenlaw is back after one season with the Denver Broncos, and WR Deebo Samuel is back following his lone season in Washington. Greenlaw’s return is exciting as he will pair again with Fred Warner, but Samuel’s return is out of pure necessity and is a pivot from the 49ers’ original plan for the offense.
Ricky Pearsall is done for the season. Mike Evans and D’Zhaun Stribling are dealing
with injuries, and Christian Kirk is sidelined with a calf injury. Jordan Watkins and Jacob Cowing are nothing more than question marks, leaving Demarcus Robinson as a virtual lock to make the roster as a veteran presence. The team was forced to add KhaDarel Hodge to the room as insurance to run one-on-ones in training camp.
Samuel’s contract details are a signal for his usage. The 49ers are looking for 800 total yards, while using Samuel in a myriad of positions on the field. Running back, wide receiver, decoy, and kick returner are some of his tasks in 2026.
49ers GM John Lynch outlined the plans for Samuel on special teams.
“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 has stepped back in the building and hasn’t missed a beat. The wide receiver spoke to ESPN’s Nick Wagoner about his return and how the one-year deal came together.
“It kind of felt like I didn’t even go nowhere, to be honest,” Samuel said, via ESPN. “When I got back, I was just like, ‘Well, I know what’s going on. I know the people here. Staff still the same.’ So it’s kind of like the same for real.”
“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 spoke about leaving for Washington via trade and reiterated there was zero animosity towards Lynch and 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan. It sounds like even without the injuries to the 49ers receiver room, the team was interested in bringing back the wide back.
