The San Francisco 49ers are bringing back an old friend. Wide receiver Deebo Samuel is signing a 1-year deal worth up to $7 million. This comes after the news that Ricky Pearsall might not play in 2026. Earlier on Thursday, we asked what Deebo was up to. We’re about to find out.
The “up to” $7 million is important, as it’s a sign that Samuel signed an incentive-laden deal where he’ll have to reach specific benchmarks to earn the full $7 million.
Deebo needs no introduction. He spent the entirety of his career in the Bay Area before a one-year stint with the Commanders last year. Samuel saw more targets last season than he had since 2021. He finished the season with 72 receptions for 727 yards and five touchdowns.
Most of Deebo’s targets came near the line of scrimmage. His average air yards per target was the lowest since 2022, at 5.3. Of those 99 targets, 67 came under 10 yards.
Washington used Samuel primarily as a slot receiver. He ran 260 routes in the slot, compared to 141 out wide. It’s worth noting that Samuel also ran 15 routes from the backfield. If the 49ers are looking for somebody to take some of the workload off Christian McCaffrey with Jordan James sidelined, who better than the player for whom we coined the term “wideback”?
We’re projecting here, but Samuel would likely play in the slot while Stribling gets familiar with “Z.” That is, unless Demarcus Robinson or Christian Kirk prove that they can contribute as outside receivers in this offense.
It’ll be interesting to see how much Deebo plays over the likes of Jacob Cowing, Jordan Watkins, Kirk (once he’s healthy), and Robinson. The good news is Stribling is versatile, and Deebo knows the offense, so you can use both players in multiple spots, with Mike Evans as the true “X” receiver.
