Deebo Samuel was one of Brock Purdy’s favorite targets in San Francisco, and he’s not afraid to shout out to the world what he thinks of Purdy’s new contract. Purdy is now the NFL’s seventh-highest-paid quarterback. He signed a five-year, $265 million contract, including $181 million guaranteed, with $100 million fully guaranteed upon signing.
Purdy considered Samuel one of his best friends on the 49ers. They played 40 games together (including playoffs) and hooked up on 160 passes for 2,117 yards and 20 touchdowns. So it’s no surprise that his former teammate, and now Washington Commander, would want to give his old buddy a virtual high five.
From Mr. Irrelevant to 265 Million Dollar Man
Samuel posted on his Instagram story, “Congrats brother!!! Well deserved.” No “Mr. Irrelevant” had previously come close to even mid-double-digit millions per year. Purdy is now the highest-paid “Mr. Irrelevant” passing kicker, Ryan Succop’s five-year, $20 million extension with the Tennessee Titans in February 2018, after joining the team in 2014.
Purdy rocketed to relevancy in 2022. Trey Lance, the Niners’ 2021 first-round pick, opened camp as the starter but broke his ankle in Week 2. Jimmy Garoppolo took over but broke his foot, forcing the Niners to turn to Purdy, who caught fire and won his first five starts. He quickly became a leader in the clubhouse, and his performance convinced general manager John Lynch that he was the Niners’ starter of the future.
For years, Samuel was a mainstay in San Francisco and was used as a “wide back” by head coach Kyle Shanahan. He was also deployed as a receiver and occasionally as a runner. Through 2024, he had 1,143 rushing yards and 21 rushing touchdowns, and 4,792 receiving yards and 22 touchdowns.
He was playing on a three-year $73.5 million extension ($58 million guaranteed) he signed in ’22 and was due to be $17.55 million in ’25 if the Niners picked up his option. However, because of his dual usage, Samuel felt he was underpaid and wanted full guarantees on his contract.
Instead of going through more contentious negotiations, the Niners traded Samuel to the Commanders for a fifth-round pick and ate $31.5 million in dead money against the cap in 2025. Washington picked up Samuel’s option and restructured his contract to guarantee $17 million plus up to $3 million in incentives.
Washington was elite on the ground, averaging 154.1 rushing yards per game thanks to running back Brian Robinson and quarterback Jayden Daniels’ long runs on broken plays. The Commanders scored 28.5 points per game, making them the fifth-best scoring offense in the league.
Samuel is expected to help the Commanders’ passing game, which ranked 18th in the NFL with 231.3 yards per game. Samuel will be the number two receiver behind Terry McLaurin, and his 11.1 yards per touch is expected to bring another explosive element to the Washington offense.