The 49ers are turning back to a familiar face at a time when their receiver room is getting hit from every angle. Deebo Samuel is reportedly headed back to San Francisco on a one-year deal that can rise to seven million dollars with incentives, according to NFL insider Ian Rapoport.
It’s a reunion that comes after Samuel spent the 2025 season with the Washington Commanders, where he answered with a strong bounce-back year. Even with quarterback injuries affecting Washington, Samuel finished with 72 catches for 727 yards and five touchdowns. Those numbers marked an improvement over his 2024 production in San Francisco, when he had 51 catches, 670 yards and three touchdowns.
For the 49ers, the timing makes plenty of sense. Training camp has already brought a wave of injury concerns at wide receiver. Christian Kirk is dealing with an injury, Ricky Pearsall has knee soreness and may miss the entire season, and Jauan Jennings left in free agency to sign with the Minnesota Vikings.
Then there’s the Brandon Aiyuk situation, which has only added to the uncertainty. The veteran receiver has been in a well-publicized feud with the 49ers, wants to end up with the Commanders, and hasn’t played since the 2024 season because of a severe knee injury. He also said he won’t apply for reinstatement because he doesn’t want to do business with the 49ers.
With the depth chart thinned out and Samuel already knowing Kyle Shanahan’s offense, the move gives San Francisco an immediate answer to a problem that had been building fast.
In Other News...
Commanders May Have A Camp Receiver Worth Watching Closely
A rookie wideout with a familiar face in the quarterback room is the sort of camp flyer the Commanders can afford to take seriously. Washington signed Chris Hilton, Jr. after his college run at LSU, where he lined up alongside Jayden Daniels, and the appeal is pretty straightforward: speed, familiarity and a chance to see whether a limited college resume can still translate into something useful at the next level.
Hiltons path has not been clean, though, and that is what makes him worth tracking once camp opens. He dealt with multiple injuries in college, which helped keep his production down, but the Commanders are betting there may still be something there if he can stay on the field and show the burst that made him intriguing in the first place. If he does, he could force his way into the conversation for a deeper role than most free-agent rookies get this time of year. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Camp Day 2 Brought Early Signs Fans Have Been Waiting For
Training camp in Ashburn has already given Commanders fans plenty to watch, with five public practices selling out quickly and extra sessions reserved for season ticket members. After a busy offseason of roster turnover and coaching changes, including new coordinators David Blough on offense and Daronte Jones on defense, the early days of camp have felt less like a tune-up and more like the first real look at what this version of Washington might become.
Day 2 brought some of the on-field moments supporters have been waiting to see, from competitive drills to a few plays that hinted at how the new pieces are fitting together. The bigger takeaway so far is that the energy is there and the roster is already producing the kind of camp snapshots that can shape expectations, even if the most interesting question from the practice field still hangs over what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Why Commanders Already Feel Different About No. 7 Pick Sonny Styles
Sonny Styles arrived in camp with the kind of profile that naturally turns heads: a No. 7 overall pick, a rookie linebacker, and a player the Commanders believe can do a little bit of everything. Washington has liked what it has seen early from his athleticism and versatility, and the early buzz around him has centered on how quickly he has started to absorb the defense and handle the demands that come with a prominent role.
Dan Quinn and the staff have been encouraged by Styles knowledge, intensity and overall early development, which is part of why he already feels different from a typical first-year player. Even so, the most intriguing part of his upside is still ahead, because Washington has yet to fully see how his blitzing, speed and length translate when the real pressure starts to mount. [Read more 🡒]