Deebo Samuel Sr. quickly established himself as one of the most explosive playmakers in the NFL after being drafted in the second round by the San Francisco 49ers in the 2019 NFL Draft. While he has battled injuries throughout his career, his skill set is extremely unique, and he has proven to be a matchup nightmare in the NFL.
After one year in Washington, Samuel has been linked to a return to San Francisco, but one former NFL player took some shots at Samuel, saying he doesn’t make sense for the 49ers.
Deebo Samuel Fires Back at Emmanuel Acho
Former NFL linebacker Emmanuel Acho is no stranger to making some headlines since entering the sports media landscape in his post-NFL broadcasting career. He and former Pro Bowl running back LeSean McCoy started their own podcast, “Speakeasy,” where they discuss trending topics in the NFL.
After Samuel’s former 49ers teammates, Kyle Juszczyk and George Kittle, began openly recruiting Samuel to return to San Francisco, many began to speculate about a potential reunion for the one-time All-Pro. Acho was quick to shut down the idea, sharing why it doesn’t make any sense.
“When you construct the roster, Deebo would now be the third receiver in San Francisco,” said Acho. “That third receiver has to play special teams. You want to know who’s not playing special teams, nor should? Deebo Samuel… I’m also not gonna stunt the growth of first-round pick, third-year player, Ricky Pearsall for Deebo Samuel.”
Pearsall and newly signed veteran Mike Evans appear to be locked in as the top two options in the San Francisco wide receiver room. Meanwhile, veteran wide receiver Christian Kirk appears locked in for slot duties after signing with the team in the offseason. With those three locked in, Acho believes that there is no room in San Francisco for Samuel.
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“Is Deebo talented?” Acho added. “Duh, but he’s had probably more 700-yard seasons than he’s had 1,000-yard seasons.”
To Acho’s point, Samuel has only topped 1,000 receiving yards once in his seven-year NFL career. However, while injuries and some inconsistencies have prevented him from returning to the heights of his 2021 season, Samuel is still an effective player when he is on the field.
He ranked No. 26 in PFN’s Wide Receiver Impact Metric (WRi) in 2025, catching 72 of 99 targets for 727 yards and five touchdowns.
Samuel quickly clapped back at Samuel on social media by calling him a “glorified mascot.”
“Who is bruh?” Samuel added. “Who gave him a voice? You play 3 years gang, 3 different teams. Ain’t coming at you but stop trying me bruh.”
Glorified mascot 😂😂😂
Who is bruh
Who gave him a voice
You play 3 years gang
3 different teamsAin’t coming at you but stop trying me bruh@EmmanuelAcho
— Deebo (@19problemz) July 21, 2026
The 30-year-old wide receiver remains a free agent and is one of the top remaining options available for wide receiver-needy teams. Samuel, Keenan Allen, Stefon Diggs, and Brandin Cooks are among the veteran options still looking for their next team in 2026.
The Washington Commanders, Miami Dolphins, and Las Vegas Raiders are among the teams with needs at the wide receiver position that could be potential suitors. Other teams could emerge as suitors if an injury in training camp or preseason creates a need at the position.
Samuel remains a name to watch as the season inches closer, as the veteran wide receiver can still provide value to an NFL team.
