Should the San Francisco 49ers and Deebo Samuel Run It Back?
The idea of a reunion in professional sports is always seductive.
Familiarity breeds nostalgia.
Nostalgia fuels hope.
And hope can blur objective roster analysis.
That is exactly where the conversation sits regarding the San Francisco 49ers and Deebo Samuel.
Should they run it back with the self-proclaimed “wide back”?
Or would doing so represent a step backward for a franchise trying to recalibrate around youth and speed?
To answer that, context matters.
In 2020, when George Kittle was 26, the 49ers handed their All-Pro tight end a five-year extension.
In 2021, when Fred Warner was 24, they did the same with their All-Pro linebacker.
In 2022, when Deebo Samuel was 26, the structure changed.
Samuel received a three-year extension instead of five.
That shorter deal was intentional.
The 49ers’ front office believed Samuel’s hybrid role — part receiver, part running back — and his bruising style would not age gracefully.
History suggests they read that projection correctly.
Samuel’s physical peak arrived in 2021.
That season remains one of the most unique campaigns in modern NFL history.
He led the league in yards per catch at 18.2.
He averaged 6.2 yards per carry.
He compiled 1,770 yards from scrimmage.
He scored eight rushing touchdowns, an NFL record for a wide receiver.
He forced defenders to make business decisions in space.
He broke 13 tackles after receptions and finished second in the league in yards after catch.
He was not simply productive.
He was disruptive.
Christian McCaffrey recently described him best.
“When the ball is in his hands, you can see a lot of times the fear in defenses,” McCaffrey said.
“He’s an enforcer on offense.”
That was then.
The present tells a different story.
After requesting a trade, Samuel was dealt to the Washington Commanders.
Now 30 years old, he remains productive on paper.
In 2025, he posted 72 catches on 99 targets for 727 yards and five touchdowns across 16 games.
His 72.7 percent catch rate was his highest since 2020.
Those are not disastrous numbers.
They are respectable.
But deeper metrics reveal erosion.
His yards per catch fell to a career-low 10.1.
His yards after catch per reception dipped to 6.5, another career low.
Most telling was the broken-tackle data.
In his first six seasons, Samuel averaged one broken tackle every 5.7 receptions.
In 2025, he broke just six tackles on 72 catches — roughly one every 12 receptions.
That decline speaks volumes.
The trait that separated him — violent acceleration through contact — is fading.
From 2021 through 2023, he led NFL receivers with 38 broken tackles after catches.
In the past two seasons combined, he recorded 17 broken tackles on 182 touches.
His rushing average also cratered.
Across his first five seasons, he averaged 6.3 yards per carry.
Over the last two seasons, that figure dropped to 3.6 yards on 59 carries.
For a player whose value hinges on hybrid explosiveness, that downward trend is significant.
Meanwhile, the 49ers’ roster composition complicates the reunion narrative.
By the start of the 2026 season, George Kittle, Christian McCaffrey, and fullback Kyle Juszczyk will average 32.3 years old.
Those are foundational offensive pieces.
They are also aging.
The team’s lack of explosiveness in 2025 underscored that reality.
Linebacker Dee Winters recorded the team’s fastest ball-carrier speed last season at 20.15 mph on an interception return.
When your fastest offensive playmaker is a linebacker, that signals a speed deficit.
San Francisco needs rejuvenation.
They need vertical juice.
They need separation speed.
They need youth.
Samuel does not check those boxes at this stage.
Financial implications further complicate matters.
According to spotrac projections, Samuel could command at least $15 million annually on the open market.
That is significant capital for a descending asset.
The 49ers could allocate that money toward a younger free-agent receiver.
Potential targets such as Alec Pierce of the Indianapolis Colts or Wan’Dale Robinson of the New York Giants are both 25 years old.
They offer speed profiles more aligned with San Francisco’s needs.
The draft also presents opportunity.
Jordan Watkins, a 2025 fourth-round pick, clocked a 4.37-second 40-yard dash.
Jacob Cowing, selected in 2024, ran a 4.38.
Those players represent cost-controlled explosiveness.
They represent upside.
They represent the kind of athletic infusion the roster currently lacks.
George Kittle’s recent comments during Super Bowl week fueled speculation.
He hinted the 49ers could bring back “past friends.”
When pressed, he admitted enjoying time with Samuel and reiterated his affection.
“I love Deebo,” Kittle said.
But locker-room affection does not override roster math.
General manager John Lynch was candid less than a week before trading Samuel.
“Everything’s good, but I think at some point, time happens,” Lynch said.
“He asked for that. It probably makes sense.”
Time has passed.
Performance has declined.
The projection that Samuel would not age gracefully appears accurate.
Reversing course now would contradict that evaluation.
Reunions can work in sports.
Sometimes familiarity reignites production.
Sometimes environment restores confidence.
But the 49ers are not one piece away from sentimentality.
They are at an inflection point.
With Jauan Jennings potentially leaving in free agency and Brandon Aiyuk’s tenure nearing its conclusion, the receiver room requires strategic restructuring.
The priority should be trajectory, not nostalgia.
A descending 30-year-old pass catcher does not align with that trajectory.
The 49ers built their recent success on speed, creativity, and physical mismatches.
Samuel embodied that at his peak.
He no longer does.
If the objective is to reclaim explosiveness and recalibrate toward youth, the logical answer becomes clear.
Admire the past.
Respect the production.
Appreciate the highlights.
But when it comes to a reunion with Deebo Samuel, the prudent move for the San Francisco 49ers is restraint.
Sometimes the smartest play is the one you do not run
