The San Francisco 49ers have a need at wide receiver entering the offseason, and a familiar face is set to be available in free agency.
That’s right, a reunion with Deebo Samuel is possible after just one season apart.
With Brandon Aiyuk having played his final snap in San Francisco, and Jauan Jennings, Kendrick Bourne, and Skyy Moore all set to be free agents, the Niners may have to replace a lot of players at wide receiver next season.
Currently, they have the likes of Ricky Pearsall, Demarcus Robinson, Jacob Cowing, and Junior Bergen under contract for next season, but the 49ers clearly have to bolster that bunch because it leans heavily on players who have been hurt a lot or who do not have a lot of experience.
San Francisco has to get faster at wide receiver as it was one of the slowest teams, offensively, especially when it came to the team’s wideouts.
The 49ers also need guys who are more reliable and durable as Pearsall has dealt with countless injuries in his career and cannot be counted on for a full season.
Could 49ers reunite with WR Deebo Samuel?
While Samuel is not a speedster at this point in his career, he does know Kyle Shanahan’s offense and had a bit of a rebound season with the Washington Commanders in 2025 after he was traded by the Niners.
In 16 games, Samuel had 727 receiving yards and five touchdowns, which was an improvement over his final season with San Francisco.
He is obviously no longer a WR1 on the depth chart, but he could make sense for the Niners as a proven option who has familiarity with the system.
Of course, Samuel is probably going to seek a somewhat sizable multi-year contract, and the 49ers are all too familiar with what contentious contract talks with Samuel look like.
They also know that there is some baggage there. The split between the two sides was not contentious, as both the Niners and Samuel wanted a fresh start, but it's clear Samuel declined after signing a huge extension and there were legitimate questions about his fitness by the end of his tenure in San Francisco.
Samuel should absolutely not be the team’s main free agent target, but if he is still available and his market has not materialized at some point in the summer, then maybe the Niners can swoop in for a reunion no one would see coming.