Talented wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. had a mixed season for the Washington Commanders after being traded from the San Francisco 49ers last year. Deep into the NFL offseason, Samuel remains an unrestricted free agent and has been linked with a return to San Francisco.
Mark Schlereth Gives Sobering Deebo Samuel-49ers Reality Check
In a clip posted on X, three-time Super Bowl champion Mark Schlereth gave a sobering breakdown of Samuel’s reduced role with the 49ers should coach Kyle Shanahan re-sign him.
“Like Deebo, man, we would love to have you back on this team,” Schlereth said. “But understand what your role is. And we’re gonna ask you to run out of the backfield; we’re gonna ask you to run the wide zone. We’re gonna ask you to be the gadget guy. We’re gonna ask you to do the jet sweeps and the orbit reverses.
“These are the things that you’re going to do, and I’m gonna get you four or five explosives a game. Based on our run game, based on how we pair our run game with our play action. We make it look identical. We do all these things, but you’re gonna have to accept that role. Are you willing to accept that role?”
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Samuel was selected No. 36 overall by the 49ers in the 2019 NFL Draft and reached the Super Bowl against the Kansas City Chiefs as a rookie.
He had a breakout 2021 season during which he earned his first Pro Bowl nod and first-team All-Pro selection. During the season, Samuel broke the record for the most rushing touchdowns by a wide receiver in a single season (8) and had more rushing scores of 10+ yards than 23 NFL teams.
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The wide receiver tallied 1,405 receiving yards on 77 receptions, resulting in six touchdowns, while adding 365 rushing yards on 59 attempts, resulting in eight scores, including throwing for a touchdown.
Last season, Deebo earned a PFN Wide Receiver Impact score of 77.0, ranking him at No. 26 in the league. He registered 727 receiving yards on 72 receptions, resulting in five touchdowns for the Commanders.
In a clip posted on his YouTube page this week, Samuel dismissed speculation about retiring from the NFL.
“Going on Year 8… I still feel like I got a lot, at least like three, four good years left, and it’s kind of been tough, not even going to lie to you,” Samuel said. “All the free agency stuff going on, waking up in the morning, looking at your phone, seeing if your agent hit you and was like, ‘This team interested,’ or things along those lines. It’s been kind of like a roller coaster.”
The 49ers are dealing with a public standoff with wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk and have been extensively linked with a move for Samuel. The wide receiver free agent pool is teeming with talent, including Stefon Diggs, Tyreek Hill, and Keenan Allen.
