The San Francisco 49ers are entering a new era, and no move signals that shift more than parting ways with Deebo Samuel.
The dynamic wide receiver, once the heartbeat of Kyle Shanahan’s offense, is now part of the Washington Commanders after a blockbuster trade.
Deebo Samuel gets a fresh start
For Samuel, the departure is bittersweet.
After requesting a trade from the 49ers, he landed with one of his preferred destinations, thanks in part to the presence of quarterback Jayden Daniels.
While the move represents a fresh start, Samuel made it clear that his bond with the 49ers, especially with Shanahan and general manager John Lynch, remains strong.
In a heartfelt piece for The Players’ Tribune, Samuel described his six-year relationship with Shanahan as “ridiculous.”
He elaborated, writing, “One minute, he wanna knock my head off, and the next he’s just going crazy, excited at something I’m doing.”
Despite his struggles last season, posting just 806 yards from scrimmage, his lowest total since an injury-shortened 2020 campaign, Samuel insists there is no bad blood between him and the 49ers’ leadership.
He recalled asking Shanahan for a trade after the season and acknowledged the difficulty of that conversation.
“I told him I didn’t think he knew how hard it was for me to have this conversation,”Samuel shared.
“After I talked with Kyle, I talked to [GM] John [Lynch], and he understood where I was coming from… For John and Kyle to send me to a team in the NFC that was almost a Super Bowl contender, it just shows you the type of love and relationship that we have. I know at the end of the day, they didn’t have to do that.”
Samuel joins a Commanders team that took a massive leap last season.
Under new head coach Dan Quinn and behind the stellar play of Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels, Washington reached the NFC Championship Game, its deepest playoff run since 1991.
Now, the franchise is betting big that Samuel can help push them over the top.
For his part, Samuel is eager to get to work.
He sees the Commanders as an ideal fit and is particularly excited to team up with Terry McLaurin, another receiver from the 2019 draft class.
“This is one of the best possible fits for me, where I can go in and help a team,”Samuel wrote.
“When my agent asked me where I wanted to go, this was one of the teams at the top of my list… I got a feeling this season is about to be one of them ones.”
With one year remaining on his contract, Samuel now faces the challenge of proving he can still be a game-changing weapon.
If he stays healthy and Quinn’s system maximizes his strengths, Washington’s offense could be one of the most dangerous in the league.
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