It’s a little strange that Deebo Samuel is still on the board this deep into the offseason, but that’s where things stand. The former 49ers playmaker, once one of the league’s most dangerous and versatile weapons, is still looking for his next stop after Washington moved on from him this offseason.
Samuel’s peak came in 2021, when he put up 77 catches for 1,405 yards and six touchdowns and looked like a weapon defenses had to account for everywhere on the field. He even got work as a runner out of the backfield.
Since then, though, he hasn’t come close to matching that level again. After a 2024 season that included 51 receptions for 670 yards and three touchdowns, San Francisco traded him to the Commanders.
Washington’s plan was to pair him with Terry McLaurin and give its offense another jolt after reaching the NFC Championship Game. That never really took hold, but Samuel still gave the Commanders solid production. In 16 games in 2025, he caught 72 passes on 99 targets for 727 yards and five touchdowns, added 17 carries for 75 yards and a touchdown, and even returned 15 kicks for 452 yards.
Now he’s back in free agency for the second straight offseason, and while no deal has surfaced yet, it would still be a surprise if he didn’t end up on a roster in 2026. The expectation is that he lands on a one-year contract in the $8 million range.
One thing that makes Samuel’s market a little unusual is his track record. He was a second-round pick out of South Carolina by the 49ers in 2019, then later signed a three-year, $71.5 extension with $58.1 million guaranteed after entering the fourth year of his rookie deal. He was due a little over $17 million in the final year of that contract in 2025 before the trade to Washington.
There are a few places where he could make immediate sense, starting with Las Vegas. The Raiders have already tried to build the right setup for No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza, with Kirk Cousins in place to start the season, Tyler Linderbaum added in free agency, and Brock Bowers and Ashton Jeanty giving the offense a strong base. What they still lack is a real answer at wide receiver.
Tre Tucker had a late-season surge, but he’s still only at 1,566 receiving yards in three years. Jalen Nailor was brought in as a low-key free-agent addition, but he was still a WR3 in Minnesota and now faces a much bigger role.
Jack Bech didn’t do much as a rookie, the OTA buzz on him wasn’t good, and Dont’e Thornton Jr. hasn’t done enough yet either. Samuel would instantly become the best receiver on the roster, and because Bowers and Jeanty would still be the focal points, he wouldn’t have to carry the whole offense.
There’s also a built-in connection with new head coach Klint Kubiak, who overlapped with Samuel in San Francisco in 2023.
Chicago is another team that could use him in a very specific way. The Bears don’t exactly have a desperate need at receiver on paper.
Rome Odunze is now their WR1, Luther Burden III looks ready for a bigger role, and the tight end room is loaded with Cole Kmet, Colston Loveland and third-rounder Sam Roush. But after Odunze and Burden, the depth chart gets thin fast.
Kalif Raymond is next up, though he’s been more of a special teams piece in recent years. Scotty Miller and third-round pick Zavion Thomas sit behind him.
Samuel wouldn’t need to come in and be the centerpiece, but he could fill the kind of lower-usage, high-impact role that helps an offense stay balanced. His skill set isn’t the same as D.J.
Moore’s, but he’d fit as a replacement for that kind of production slot, especially with Odunze and Burden set for bigger target shares.
Atlanta is the other team that jumps out. Drake London is already paid and established as the clear top option, but after him the receiver room looks thin.
The Falcons signed Jahan Dotson, brought back Olamide Zaccheaus and used a third-round pick on Zachariah Branch. Branch is an intriguing prospect and Zaccheaus can do a little of everything, but Dotson hasn’t done much since his rookie year.
Samuel would immediately raise the ceiling at WR2, and he’d be a strong fit with Falcons QB Tua Tagovailoa if he ends up winning the starting job. Michael Penix Jr. is ahead of schedule in his rehab, so nothing is locked in, but the most likely setup is Tagovailoa opening the season as the starter. Samuel works the middle of the field and thrives after the catch, which lines up cleanly with the quick-game approach Tagovailoa likes to run.
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