Commanders land wide receiver Deebo Samuel in a trade with the 49ers

One of the first major moves of the offseason is in motion, as the San Francisco 49ers and Washington Commanders have reportedly struck a deal to send wide receiver Deebo Samuel out of the Bay Area, pending a physical. In return, the Niners are set to receive a fifth-round pick, though the exact draft year remains unclear.

Last month, the 49ers granted Samuel and his agent permission to explore trade options after the receiver requested a move during his season-ending meeting with Kyle Shanahan.

While San Francisco did field offers for Samuel last offseason, none were enticing enough to seal a deal. Despite general manager John Lynch stating after the season that the team wasn’t actively looking to move him, the former All-Pro—who shined in 2021 before seeing a dip in production—will now get a fresh start in Washington.

Here's some of the quick reaction from around the NFL world:

Here's how the trade ultimately turn out:

Commanders get: Deebo Samuel

49ers get: 5th round pick

The Commanders had a pressing need for a reliable secondary target alongside Terry McLaurin, and Deebo Samuel fills that void seamlessly. While McLaurin surpassed 1,000 receiving yards for a fifth straight season, no other Washington pass catcher even came close. With veteran tight end Zach Ertz set to hit free agency and Olamide Zaccheaus managing just 506 yards and three touchdowns last season, Samuel should step in as the clear No. 2 option in the passing attack.

Financially, Washington was well-positioned to absorb Samuel’s contract, boasting one of the league’s highest cap spaces and a quarterback still on his rookie deal. The move also reunites Samuel with Adam Peters, who played a key role in drafting him back in San Francisco, ensuring familiarity with his skill set and how he fits into Dan Quinn and Kliff Kingsbury's offense.

For the 49ers, the return—a fifth-round pick—feels underwhelming, but with Samuel publicly requesting a trade and entering the final year of his contract, leverage was limited. On the plus side, they offload his $17.55 million salary and had already prepared for changes, extending Jauan Jennings and drafting Ricky Pearsall, while still holding onto Brandon Aiyuk for now.

The trade will become official once the new league year begins on March 12. The move ended an often efficient but at times up-and-down six-year run for Samuel with San Francisco.

Drafted in the second round in 2019, Deebo Samuel quickly became a key piece in Kyle Shanahan's offense, thriving in a hybrid role that showcased his versatility. Over six seasons, he's amassed 4,792 receiving yards and 1,143 rushing yards, with the past four years accounting for 958 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns, alongside 244 receptions for 3,599 yards and 18 scores through the air.

His peak came in 2021, when he nearly dragged the 49ers to the Super Bowl, racking up 1,770 scrimmage yards and 14 touchdowns before falling short in the NFC Championship Game against the Rams. That stellar campaign led to a contract standoff, with Samuel initially pushing for a trade before securing a three-year, $71.5 million extension in 2022.

Since then, he has struggled to match that level of production, averaging 731.3 receiving yards and 56 catches per season, while contributing modestly on the ground with 197.7 rushing yards and three touchdowns per year over the past three campaigns.