The 49ers didn’t wait long to make a move in camp, and it comes with a name that should feel very familiar in San Francisco: Deebo Samuel Sr.
According to multiple reports, the team is bringing Samuel back on a one-year deal that can be worth up to $7 million. It’s a quick reunion for a player who spent his first six NFL seasons with the 49ers after going in the second round of the 2019 NFL draft, then later landed with the Commanders in 2025.
Samuel’s best stretch in San Francisco came in 2021, when he earned first-team All-Pro honors and a Pro Bowl spot after piling up 1,770 total yards and 14 total touchdowns. His lone season in Washington was far less memorable, as the Commanders went 5-12 and quarterback Jayden Daniels appeared in just seven games.
Now he’s back in a 49ers receiver group that has been hit from every angle. San Francisco signed veteran Mike Evans to a three-year, $42 million deal this offseason, but the rest of the room has been anything but settled. The Brandon Aiyuk situation is still hanging around, Jauan Jennings signed with the Vikings, and Christian Kirk suffered a calf strain on the first day of camp.
And then there’s Ricky Pearsall.
The third-year receiver is dealing with a knee issue tied to the PCL injury he had last season, and the outlook sounds grim. Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reported the setback in his notebook from 49ers camp on Wednesday, and NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco made the situation sound even more serious during a Thursday radio hit.
“He experienced swelling in that knee, and now it’s kind of back to the drawing board,” Maiocco said during a radio hit on Thursday. “If surgery is required, he’s going to miss the season.
He’s going to miss the entire season. … At this point, I think it’s reasonable, rational, logical for the 49ers to not expect Ricky Pearsall to make any contribution in 2026.”
That’s a major hit for a group already stretched thin, even with San Francisco having selected De’Zhaun Stribling in the first round of the 2026 draft. The former Ole Miss wide receiver has been one of the early standouts in camp.
Samuel won’t arrive as the same player who terrorized defenses during his breakout run, but he still produced last season in a difficult Washington offense, finishing with 72 catches for 727 yards and five touchdowns. He’s lost some of the burst that made him such a nightmare in open space, but the physicality is still there, and he can still make defenses pay when the ball gets in his hands.
Just as important, he’s walking back into a system he knows well. Kyle Shanahan is still calling the shots, Brock Purdy is still the quarterback, and Christian McCaffrey is still in the backfield. Samuel is expected to slide back into the Z-receiver role alongside Evans, giving Shanahan another movable piece to deploy across the formation.
For the 49ers, that familiarity may matter as much as anything. With George Kittle also dealing with an injury, Samuel gives Purdy a trusted target in an offense that’s trying to get back on track.
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The bigger question for San Francisco is how that plan holds up as McCaffrey moves deeper into his career, and he made clear he is thinking about longevity as much as production. The 49ers are also sorting out what comes next behind him, with rookie Kaelon Black making a push to become the next man up and give the offense some insurance if the workload has to shift. [Read more 🡒]
Deebo Samuel Is Back With The 49ers At The Perfect Time
Deebo Samuel is back where he built his biggest profile, returning to the 49ers on a one-year deal after one season in Washington. It is a familiar fit for both sides: Samuel had his best statistical year in San Francisco in 2021, and the 49ers know exactly what he can add when he is healthy and used the way they want to use him.
The timing matters even more because San Franciscos receiver room is already being tested by injuries, with depth behind the top options looking shaky. Ricky Pearsall is dealing with knee troubles and Christian Kirk is also hurt, so Samuels arrival gives the 49ers a proven option while the bigger question is how quickly they can get everyone on the field at once. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Fans Were Stunned By This Kyle Shanahan TV Blunder
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What has kept the segment buzzing is the uncertainty around how it got on air in the first place. It is still unclear whether the image was a mistake or part of a joke, and that ambiguity has only added to the attention around a story that already had 49ers fans watching closely after Shanahans crash became public. [Read more 🡒]