Sergio Estrada - Imagn Images
Deebo Samuel was a huge part of some really good San Francisco 49ers teams. The former All-Pro could hurt defenses in a multitude of ways and was dynamic on those teams with the ball in his hands.
Things haven’t been as good in recent years, as frequent injury problems and the emergence of other weapons have lessened his roles in the offense. The two sides parted ways on Saturday as Samuel was traded to the Washington Commanders, and Deebo Samuel broke his silence on the move.
After his incredible 2021 season that saw him account for 1770 total yards andn 14 touchdowns, including over 1,400 receiving yards, Samuel has yet to reach those heights again. He hasn’t had more than 892 receiving yards in a season since as he’s both declined in ability as he’s aged and the team has brought on or developed new weapons like Christian McCaffery and Brandon Aiyuk. Given his salary, it made sense for the 49ers to trade him to save around $15 million in 2025. So, they moved him to Washington for a 5th-round pick on Saturday. He will step into the WR2 role for the 49ers alongside Terry McLaurin, and should provide a boost for Jayden Daniels.
Some. thought there may be some bad blood between the South Carolina product and the San Francisco 49ers. But, he set out to alleviate those concerns.
“49ers know where I stand with them and it’s nothing but love. Love John and Kyle to death no bad blood no way shape or form. They know I’m more than appreciative of everything they done for me as a player and a man nothing but love ❤️,” Deebo said on Twitter.
This could be the first of a few big moves for both the San Francisco 49ers and Washington Commanders, two teams that could have a lot of new faces come Week 1.