After the 49ers finished off a disappointing 6-11 season, Deebo Samuel requested a trade. The 49ers granted his wish March 1 in exchange for a fifth-round pick.

He goes from a team in rebuild mode to one that is ascending, having made the NFC Championship Game last season.

Samuel said in his introductory news conference Thursday that his decision was “tougher than most people think” because of the relationships he developed in San Francisco. He gave the 49ers a list of five preferred destinations, with Washington one of the five.

“Being in San Francisco, I like winners. I like to win,” Samuel said, via David Bonilla of 49erswebzone. com. “I’m not one of your biggest losers. They went to the NFC Championship.”

The Commanders had several draws for Samuel, including his familiarity with General Manager Adam Peters, who previously served as the 49ers’ assistant G.M., and his desire to return to the East Coast. The Commanders’ immediate turnaround with quarterback Jayden Daniels also was a plus.

It didn’t hurt that the team committed to Samuel by reworking his contract to guarantee $17 million of his 2025 salary while adding $3 million in incentives.

“That meant a lot,” Samuel said. “By not stepping on the field for this team, not meeting everybody in the building, it just kind of shows what they think. And for me, on my end, it’s just like, they put as much trust in me to do the things they did as far as my contract, I can’t come in here and let them down.

“I’ve got to give it my all, do all the things that I need to do to be the best version of myself when I come here.”

Samuel is coming off a disappointing season with only 806 scrimmage yards and four total touchdowns.