Deebo Samuel might not be the same player he was back in 2021, but his reunion with the San Francisco 49ers can keep the NFC West the most competitive (and best overall) division in football heading into 2026.
The 49ers have officially brought back Samuel on a one-year deal worth $7 million, reuniting him with the team that drafted him and helped him become a star player once upon a time. Samuel spent last season with the injury-plagued Washington Commanders, and while he isn't exactly the same type of every-down threat he once was for the 49ers, he proved to be a valuable weapon for the Commanders last year, especially in some big moments.
The 49ers were also injury-plagued last season, but they were able to weather the storm and still found a way to win 12 games. The fact that the 49ers dealt with as many injuries as they did and still stayed in the race for the division until the end of the season was rather remarkable, and they're believing they can do more than just keep pace in 2026.
The reunion between the 49ers and Samuel might seem like just another reunion (in an offseason full of them), but there's much more substance to this than just good vibes.
49ers needed Deebo Samuel to have a shot at winning the NFC West in 2026
Samuel had some of his better games last season against some of the NFL's top pass defenses, and he didn't only have success when Jayden Daniels was on the field.
He put up numbers against the Denver Broncos late in the season, he put up numbers against the Los Angeles Chargers early in the season, and he'll give the 49ers a known commodity at receiver with Ricky Pearsall dealing with his latest injury.
If the 49ers were banking on a breakout from Pearsall in year three, that appears to be off the table at this point. If they were hoping to keep pace with the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks and unofficial offseason champion Los Angeles Rams, they desperately needed a piece like this in the offense.
Losing Pearsall to injury is one thing, but the 49ers have also said goodbye this offseason to veteran Jauan Jennings, who is now with the Vikings. And at this point, the status of George Kittle is an aggressively optimistic potential return for Week 1 after an Achilles injury back in January.
Even if Samuel is not the same exact player he was for the 49ers five years ago, he's got a certain floor to his game at this point that is going to be crucial for the 49ers remaining competitive in the NFC West. He knows the offense well, he can play multiple positions for Kyle Shanahan, and he has played in a lot of big games.
This was always a reunion that made sense, even before the Ricky Pearsall situation popped up for the 49ers. But the status of Pearsall put things into motion that could end up paying off in ways the 49ers couldn't have possibly anticipated.
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