It was time for a change of scenery, and he landed in a great spot with a dynamic young quarterback.
The Deebo Samuel era in the Bay Area has run its course. The San Francisco 49ers have agreed to trade the star receiver to the Washington Commanders, according to CBS Sports lead NFL Insider Jonathan Jones. When it comes to the compensation, the Commanders are sending a fifth-round pick to the 49ers in exchange for Samuel, according to ESPN.
While this trade is agreed to between both sides in principle, it cannot become official until the start of the new league year on March 12, which is also the opening of free agency. The Commanders jumped the gun and took to their social media platform to give the indication that some big news had just occurred.
Samuel’s exit from the 49ers had been a hot topic for the past two years, and general manager John Lynch had told reporters this week at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, that the team was “going to honor” his trade request. They have, and now Samuel is heading to Washington where he will join an offense featuring NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels out of LSU, who will be throwing him the pigskin.
Along with the Commanders, who ultimately won the Samuel sweepstakes, Jones reports that the receiver amassed interest from multiple teams, including the Houston Texans and Pittsburgh Steelers, who are in desperate need of receiver help.
The heart of Samuel’s trade request stemmed from the wideout entering the final year of his deal. He is currently due a base salary of $1.17 million and has no guaranteed money remaining on his contract, so it is a strong possibility that the Commanders will also be signing him to an extension to help facilitate the deal and integrate him into the organization and with his teammates.
Samuel, 29-years-of-age, had spent his entire career with the 49ers up until this trade. The team drafted him in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft out of South Carolina. In 2024, he caught 51 passes for 670 yards and three scores over 15 games played. He also rushed for 136 additional yards and a touchdown.
Now that Samuel has left the building, coach Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers again find themselves in need of more help in a wide receiver room filled with more questions than answers.
Brandon Aiyuk is coming off a torn right ACL and MCL and it remains unknown when he will be medically cleared to return to practice. Jauan Jennings emerged as the team’s most productive wideout in 2023 but is entering the final year of his contract and rookie Ricky Pearsall flashed late-season promise but is still largely unproven.
Despite those questions, Lynch made it clear that the Samuel-49ers relationship had fractured and the time for a separation was imminent. On Saturday, it arrived.
“He is a great player,” Lynch said. “I think often one of my favorite draft picks of my time. He makes plays, and he makes game-changing plays. Everything is good. But I think at some point, time happens, and he asked for that.”
As for the Commanders, they get a much-needed secondary pass-catching option for Daniels. After fellow star Terry McLaurin, Olamide Zaccheaus was the No. 2 wide receiver in Washington’s offense last season with 506 yards receiving. Veteran tight end Zach Ertz, who is set to be a free agent, was second on the team in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns behind McLaurin, so Samuel comes in as the clear-cut No. 2 option.
