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NFL Network: Deebo Samuel reuniting with 49ers on 1-year, $7 million deal | Latest NFL News, Analysis & Updates | NFL.com

Deebo Samuel signs a 1-year, $7 million deal to rejoin the San Francisco 49ers, providing depth at receiver amid injuries to Ricky Pearsall and Christian Kirk.

First seen Jul 31, 2026 · 2:00 AM UTC · last updated Aug 01 6:01 AM

Scoring Zone's Take

Deebo Samuel's return to San Francisco on a 1-year, $7 million deal is a low-cost, high-context add for the 49ers' receiver room, and it directly matters for your draft board given the injuries to Ricky Pearsall and Christian Kirk. Samuel knows Kyle Shanahan's scheme intimately, which shortens any integration curve and gives Brock Purdy a proven, versatile weapon who can line up outside, in the slot, or take handoffs out of the backfield. For fantasy purposes, treat Samuel as a flex-caliber piece with touchdown and yardage upside tied to opportunity — his exact target share will hinge on how quickly Pearsall and Kirk recover and how the depth chart shakes out with Jauan Jennings and George Kittle also in the mix.

The immediate winner here is roster stability for San Francisco's offense heading into camp; the immediate question mark is target competition. If Pearsall's or Kirk's injury situations linger into the season, Samuel's early-season role could balloon, making him a solid mid-round dart throw in drafts rather than a late-round afterthought. Conversely, if both return healthy, Samuel becomes more of a change-of-pace/red-zone piece with capped weekly ceiling. Draft him with the expectation of touches, but don't overpay given the crowded room.

This is a one-year deal, so treat it as a 2025-only value play rather than a long-term building block. Confidence in the transaction itself is high — this is a straightforward signing, not speculative reporting — but the fantasy ceiling remains conditional on the health outcomes for Pearsall and Kirk, which you should monitor closely as draft day approaches.

DEEBO SAMUEL REPORTEDLY REUNITING WITH 49ERS ON 1-YR, $7M DEALNFL NETWORK: DEEBO SAMUEL REUNITING WITH 49ERS ON 1-YEAR, $7 MILLION DEAL

Watch every touchdown by wide receiver Deebo Samuel in his career with 49ers.

Deebo Samuel is heading back to The Bay.

Samuel is signing a one-year, $7 million deal to re-join the San Francisco 49ers, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Thursday night.

With the 49ers dealing with a potentially serious injury to Ricky Pearsall, and free-agent addition Christian Kirk also banged up, San Francisco had a need at receiver and is calling on an old friend.

Samuel was a 2019 NFL Draft second-round choice of the 49ers and was a focal point for Kyle Shanahan's offense through the 2024 season before joining the Washington Commanders last season.

Once a bruising wide back who offered a diverse skill set and options aplenty for the 49ers to throw at the opposition, Samuel has slowed, but he did produce 72 receptions for 727 yards and five touchdowns last season with Washington.

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Ranked 61st in Gregg Rosenthal's Top 101 free agents, Samuel stuck around all offseason as one of a number of notable veteran wide receivers remaining on the market into the summer (Keenan Allen and Stefon Diggs are still available).

Samuel, 30, went to the Pro Bowl and was an All-Pro -- for the only time in each instance -- following a 2021 season in which he tallied his only 1,000-yard season, which saw him score 14 scrimmage touchdowns (eight rushing; six receiving). He has 406 career receptions for 5,519 yards and 27 touchdowns, along with 1,218 rushing yards and 21 rushing scores, having become the first NFL wide receiver to score 20 career receiving and rushing touchdowns.

Many have compared 49ers rookie wide receiver De'Zhaun Stribling to Samuel in terms of skill sets. How Samuel mixes with veteran add Mike Evans, Stribling and a young WR corps remains to be seen. Regardless, quarterback Brock Purdy has a familiar target to throw to and Shanahan has some recognizable relief in his receiver room.

Coverage from Nfl Dot Com News · by Grant Gordon · Jul 31, 2026 · read original