For weeks now, there's been a bit of a buzz about wide receiver Deebo Samuel returning to the San Francisco 49ers after his one-year absence with the Washington Commanders in 2025. Several current Niners have even floated the idea, and the fact their wide receiver room was poised to be depleted in 2026 made the thought of Deebo coming back modestly worthwhile.
After San Francisco made a massive splash in free agency by landing future Hall of Fame wide receiver Mike Evans, bringing Samuel back might make even more sense.
Remember, Evans is just one body, and the 49ers have already lost two wideouts from their 2025 roster, Skyy Moore and Kendrick Bourne, and they're going to eventually part ways with the embattled Brandon Aiyuk soon, too.
A Deebo Samuel reunion makes clearer sense for 49ers especially with Mike Evans
Evans immediately becomes the Niners' de facto No. 1 on the depth chart, supported by third-year pro Ricky Pearsall, whose injury concerns create doubt about his availability entering 2026.
With few viable options behind them, San Francisco could turn to April's NFL Draft and add talent there. But head coach Kyle Shanahan is notoriously hard with young receivers, and his intricate playbook makes for a tough learning curve anyway.
Deebo, despite having seen a drastic fall-off in production since his memorable 2021 All-Pro campaign, knows the offense. And even his presence on the field creates the illusion of a threat, something Washington managed to take advantage of over the course of last season.
According to Spotrac, Samuel's market value is just over $15 million, which would be a bit too much for a tertiary wide receiver on the wrong side of 30 years old.
But, if the market remains cool on Samuel, it wouldn't be a shock to see the 49ers make overtures to bring him back as depth and insurance.
Even if his role would be a shell of what it used to be during his prime.