The San Francisco 49ers had an eventful offseason, and several moves could be second-guessed as the 2025 season plays out. One of those moves was the decision to trade wideout Deebo Samuel to the Washington Commanders, and the former All-Pro made his debut for his new team against the New York Giants on Sunday afternoon.
If the 49ers were hoping that Samuel was old and washed up, they were greatly mistaken. And Samuel looks like a player that could make general manager John Lynch, head coach Kyle Shanahan, and the rest of the braintrust look foolish in 2025.
Deebo Samuel Looked Like a Player the 49ers Never Should Have Traded in Commanders Debut
Samuel looked like the player who was a pivotal part of the 49ers' offense the last several years as his Commanders scored a 21-6 victory over the Giants. Samuel led the Commanders by grabbing seven passes for 77 yards and also got involved on the ground, taking a 19-yard run to the house for his first touchdown in Washington.
The 49ers have seen Samuel do this before, and it may be a bad omen of what’s to come. Samuel was a second-round pick by San Francisco in the 2019 NFL draft, with his finest season coming in 2021 when he racked up 1,770 yards from scrimmage and 14 touchdowns on the way to Pro Bowl and First-Team All-Pro honors. While the effort helped him earn a three-year, $71.5 million contract extension, his production dropped off, and things got weird from there.
Samuel had his worst season with the 49ers last year, gaining 806 yards from scrimmage and four total touchdowns. While he believed that he wasn’t being used properly in Shanahan’s offense, the 49ers believed that he was out of shape, which eventually led to his trade to the Commanders.
Looking at the 49ers depth chart, Lynch and Shanahan may have wanted to consider mending the fence. San Francisco is currently waiting for Brandon Aiyuk to return from a multiligament knee injury, and the rest of the receiver depth chart is underwhelming, headlined by 2024 first-round pick Ricky Pearsall and flanked by Russell Gage Jr. and Jauan Jennings.
The rest of the 49ers' playmakers don’t seem to have a lot of explosiveness. Christian McCaffrey played on Sunday but is already dealing with a calf issue after missing most of last season with lower-body ailments. George Kittle also scored the first touchdown of the season for San Francisco, but was ruled out for the game after suffering a hamstring injury.
With Samuel looking like himself and the rest of the 49ers offense aging out, it may have put a lot of pressure on a front office that traded a 29-year-old receiver. If San Francisco’s offense doesn’t figure it out, Samuel’s departure could be a big problem even if he’s playing across the country.