Coming off a 6-11 season, the San Francisco 49ers made some major changes this offseason. Some of the changes were off the field as Robert Saleh returned as defensive coordinator. But few moves were bigger than the 49ers' decision to trade Deebo Samuel to the Washington Commanders.
Samuel had been one of the franchise’s most recognizable faces since he arrived in San Francisco with the 36th overall pick in the 2019 draft. But the former All-Pro wanted a new start that he’ll get teaming with Jayden Daniels in Washington. While 49ers fans will still remember Samuel’s playmaking ability, the team is moving on quickly and may have erased the last memory of his time in The Bay.
Ricky Pearsall Takes Deebo Samuel’s Old Number with 49ers
According to The Athletic’s Matt Barrows, Ricky Pearsall is going to wear the No. 1 for the 49ers next season. This feels cruel considering Samuel spent six seasons with the 49ers and ranks 11th in franchise history in receiving yards (4,792) and 13th in receptions (334), but there are a few reasons for the change.
Samuel didn’t start wearing the No. 1 until his final season with the 49ers. While he rocked the number in his final three years with the South Carolina Gamecocks, he had to wear No. 19 coming into the league, as the league didn’t start allowing players to wear single-digit numbers until 2021. Even then, 49ers safety Jimmie Ward had seniority and claimed the number first.
Ward opened the door for Samuel to wear No. 1 upon his departure after the 2022 season, but Samuel still had to wait a year for the league’s inventory of No. 19 jerseys to be bought out. Samuel finally was able to wear the No. 1 in 2024, but it turned out to be one of the worst seasons of his career, catching 51 passes for 670 yards and three touchdowns. The season was so bad, Commanders fans were upset that he was wearing No. 1 over No. 19 upon his arrival, hoping they would get the latter version when he hits the field this fall.
With all of the trouble to get the No. 1, it feels petty that Pearsall would wear the number as soon as he left San Francisco. But it’s not like a No. 1 jersey was hanging in his locker when he reported to OTAs.
Pearsall wore No. 1 during his final two seasons with the Florida Gators and turned in some of the best production of his career, catching 98 passes for 1,626 yards and nine touchdowns. The performance helped the 49ers decide to select him with the 31st overall pick, but the No. 14 jersey didn’t suit him well as he was shot before the start of the season.
The 24-year-old rebounded to catch 31 passes for 400 yards and three touchdowns in 11 games last year, but will hope his new number brings some luck to his sophomore campaign and makes fans forget about Samuel’s lone season in the No. 1 jersey.