Deebo Samuel arrives in San Francisco with more than one path to the field, and the 49ers may lean on him in both the receiver room and on special teams. General Manager John Lynch said Samuel will be in the mix for both return jobs, and the kick return spot already looks like the cleaner fit.
Samuel has handled kick returns before, with 41 in his career and 15 last season. Lynch’s comments suggested that work could be a regular part of Samuel’s job, not just an occasional package, and the 49ers appear ready to give him every opportunity to claim it.
That matters because the team was still searching for a dependable kick return answer. Skyy Moore left in free agency, and San Francisco did not move quickly to replace him. As training camp approaches, the return game has become one of the bigger special teams questions, and having an experienced option already in the building gives the staff some stability.
There are other names in the mix. Junior Bergen is one of the few healthy players on the roster with real kick return experience, while Isaac Guerendo also has that background but is not currently healthy.
Punt returns are less settled. Samuel has never returned punts in the NFL, but the job is still open and there is a possibility the 49ers ask him to take it on. Jordan Watkins and Jacob Cowing are internal options with punt return experience, though Cowing is not a roster lock and Watkins has not yet shown he can stay healthy.
If Watkins is available, he has a strong chance to win the starting role. Even so, Samuel gives the 49ers a fallback they can trust. If injuries hit or nobody clearly takes control, they already have a proven return man who can absorb the work.
By the time the season ends, Samuel could very well be handling both kick and punt returns for San Francisco. The next clue will be how heavily the 49ers use him in the return game, especially on punts.
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Brock Purdy Just Reignited A 49ers Debate Fans Know Well
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49ers Make An Edge Move That Says A Lot About Camp Injuries
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The addition is meant to steady a group that cannot afford to be thin for long, especially with the season creeping closer and the rotation still taking shape. Over an eight-year NFL career, the newcomer has piled up 17 sacks and 132 tackles, the kind of resume that suggests he can help if the 49ers need him to be more than just an emergency option. [Read more 🡒]