Deebo Samuel said goodbye to the team that drafted him, and 49ers fans will likely be cutting onions while reading it.
The relationship between now-Washington Commanders wide receiver Deebo Samuel and his previous employer, the San Francisco 49ers, might not have ended on the happiest of notes.
Especially when looking back at how there was reported tension between the two parties, possibly dating back to the 2022 offseason.
There are understandably plenty of raw feelings in the wake of the Niners' blockbuster trade of Samuel out to the NFC East where he gets the fresh start he ultimately wanted.
That said, Samuel was quick to remind everyone how much he loved San Francisco, the team, and head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch:
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 (@19problemz) March 3, 2025
His tweet might have gone over well enough. But, Samuel took to The Players Tribune to make sure his sentiments about the 49ers and their fans were fully known.
Warning: You might shed a tear or two.
Deebo Samuel pens heartfelt farewell to 49ers, Bay Area
The 2021 first-team All-Pro shared some insight on how difficult it was to ask Shanahan and Lynch for the trade, citing just how close he had grown with the two over the years.
"Kyle knows damn near everything that I’ve been through in my life," Samuel penned. "And I damn near know everything he done been through. It’s like that. It’s a bond you could never break."
Of course, there's the humorous parts about coming out to California where grocery bags from the store cost 10 cents if you need one, something wholly unfamiliar to a rookie out of South Carolina.
But, Samuel saved the best for last, thanking not only the franchise and all the people within it, but also the Faithful, too:
"It’ll never not be bittersweet though. That’s why I just wanted to take a minute before I start this new journey, to write something from the heart, you feel me. I just want to thank everyone from the top of the 49ers organization on down. I’m damn sure going to miss the players that I built real bonds with. The coaching staff, cooks, Corry, Peter and the whole media squad, equipment managers. Yo, shoutout to Memo, for holding me down all these years!!!! Man, that’s my dog. Anything I need done … if I forgot something at the stadium, he’d bring it to my crib. Like that is my guy. Everybody in there knows that. Everybody gets it. The head man, Jaybird, one of the coolest guys in the building, comes in and hoops with the guys in the locker room. Rob, Gilby, like man, that whole equipment staff is amazing. Thank y’all for everything.
And last, but not least, thank you to the fans. Thank you for showing up to our games, showing up to my kids’ camps. When I was just a young’un with a dream, I used to picture thousands of fans packing out the building, cheering for me as I racked up TD’s. Y’all made that real. You made a kid from Spartanburg, South Carolina’s dreams come true."
Related story: Deebo Samuel forever cemented his 49ers legacy on this 1 epic play
Give us a minute.
OK, Deebo. We'll all miss you, too, and we'll wish you the best of luck out in Washington. And we hope you go off when you face the Philadelphia Eagles twice a year.
Except when the Commanders and Niners square off. That's the lone exception.