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Former San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel remains a free agent, fueling speculation about a possible return to the team. Two of his former teammates—tight end George Kittle and fullback Kyle Juszczyk—have already made it clear they would welcome a reunion.
Samuel enjoyed the best seasons of his NFL career under head coach Kyle Shanahan, totaling 1,770 scrimmage yards and 14 touchdowns in 2021, followed by 1,117 scrimmage yards and 12 touchdowns in 2023.
Since then, however, his production has declined. Samuel has finished with just over 800 scrimmage yards in each of the past two seasons, including his 2025 campaign with the Washington Commanders after requesting a trade from the 49ers.
Meanwhile, San Francisco has reshaped its receiving corps this offseason, signing veterans Mike Evans and Christian Kirk while drafting De'Zhaun Stribling. The 49ers also expect continued development from third-year receiver Ricky Pearsall, while Jacob Cowing and Jordan Watkins are competing for larger roles.
NFL analyst Emmanuel Acho believes bringing Samuel back could hinder the development of the team's younger receivers.
"Now your roster is out of whack and imbalanced," Acho said, via Eduardo Razo of Heavy. "I'm also not going to stunt the growth of first-round pick, third-year player Ricky Pearsall for Deebo Samuel. Is Deebo talented? Duh. But he's probably had more 700-yard seasons than 1,000-yard seasons. So at what cost? At what cost?"
Acho also questioned whether Samuel is still the explosive playmaker he once was, pointing to the veteran's declining production over the past several seasons.
"Deebo had 700 receiving yards last year," Acho added. "He had 670 the year before, and 890 the year before that. At the end of the day, Deebo has had one 1,000-yard receiving season. One. Just one.
"And y'all are telling me we should make Ricky Pearsall, who we drafted in the first round, the No. 3 wide receiver? No, I don't want to do that. Can Deebo ball? Duh. We know Deebo can ball. But, 1,400 yards, 890 yards, 600 yards, 700 yards… what direction is he going in? Y'all tell me."
While Samuel's familiarity with Shanahan's offense makes the idea intriguing, the 49ers must weigh the long-term costs against any potential short-term boost.
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