Deebo Samuel returning to 49ers on 1-year deal, ESPN sources say

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Free agent wide receiver Deebo Samuel is signing back with the San Francisco 49ers, sources told NFL Network's Ian Rapoport on Thursday.

The one-year deal is worth up to $7 million, sources said.

Samuel returns to a 49ers team that drafted him in the second round in 2019. He spent six seasons in San Francisco before playing last year with the Washington Commanders.

Receiver is a position of need for the 49ers, who are dealing with injuries to Ricky Pearsall and Christian Kirk early in training camp.

Samuel caught a team-best 72 passes for 727 yards and five touchdowns for the Commanders in 2025, the second-highest reception total in his career.

But he did not carry the ball as much as he had in the previous four years with the 49ers. Because two of Washington's top three receivers -- Terry McLaurin and Noah Brown -- both missed substantial time, Samuel's versatility could not be featured as much as desired. He finished with 17 carries - 25 fewer than he had the previous season and the lowest since he had only eight in seven games during his second year in the NFL (2020).

Samuel also averaged 30.1 yards on 15 kickoff returns -- and would have been used in that role more had they not needed him so much on offense because of a depleted receiving corps.

Washington acquired Samuel for a fifth-round pick in a trade last offseason after he requested the move after six seasons with the 49ers.

Samuel flourished in 2021, finishing with a career-high 1,770 yards from scrimmage and 14 touchdowns, earning his only first-team All-Pro selection as well as a spot on the Pro Bowl team. He has topped 1,000 yards from scrimmage once (in 2023) since that season.

Samuel has caught 406 passes for 5,519 and 27 touchdowns for his career. He's also rushed for 1,218 yards and another 21 scores.

ESPN's John Keim contributed to this report.