Source: 49ers bringing back Deebo Samuel for injury-battered receiving corps

Cam Inman, The Mercury News on Jul 30, 2026

Published in Football

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SANTA CLARA, Calif. — It’s time for Deebo 2.0.

The 49ers are re-signing wide receiver Deebo Samuel to a one-year, $7 million deal, a league source confirmed. Last year, the 49ers traded Samuel for a fifth-round draft pick to the Washington Commanders, the franchise that Brandon Aiyuk has unsuccessfully angled to join since walking out on the 49ers last season.

Samuel’s U-turn comes amid uncertainty about wide receiver Ricky Pearsall, who aggravated his right knee’s posterior cruciate ligament in Monday’s second practice of training camp. Christian Kirk has been out since straining a calf in Sunday’s opening session.

George Kittle and Kyle Juszczyk encouraged Samuel last week to return to the 49ers, who drafted him in 2019 and saw him flourish into a 2021 All-Pro as a dual threat both receiving and rushing.

Samuel, 30, produced a respectable 72 catches for 727 yards and five touchdowns last season for the 5-12 Commanders, but he had a career-low 10.2 yards per catch and got his fewest carries (17, for 75 yards) since 2020.

Samuel started 73 of 81 games with the 49ers and racked up the 11th-most receiving yards in franchise history (4,792). His banner season came in 2021 with 1,405 receiving yards (six touchdowns) and 365 rushing yards (eight touchdowns), plus 291 combined yards in the playoffs.

Samuel returns to a receiving corps that no longer features Aiyuk (on reserve/left squad list) and Jauan Jennings (signed with the Minnesota Vikings in free agency).

Instead, the undisputed No. 1 wide receiver is now Mike Evans, who spent the past 12 seasons becoming the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ all-time leading receiver. Also, the 49ers spent their top draft pick this season on De’Zhaun Stribling atop the second round. Others in the mix are Kirk, Demarcus Robinson, Jordan Watson, Jacob Cowing and Malik Turner.