The San Francisco 49ers might be on the lookout for a wide receiver in free agency and a former All-Pro with the team might be up for grabs as the Washington Commanders voided his contract.
Itâs non other than Deebo Samuel, who had an All-Pro season with the 49ers in the 2021 season, where he was used not only as a receiver, but as an elite swiss-army knife. Samuel is now entering free agency.
With his contract voided, the Commanders will swallow a $12.3 million cap hit in 2026. Samuel will officially be a free agent on March 11. At 30 years old, Samuel could still provide a very good production under a proficient playcaller.
Will the 49ers really look for Samuel?
The 49ers have a couple of wideouts going into free agency. Hence, the team could perfectly be in the market and a known entity could be the perfect option. This is especially tempting when Samuel had an All-Pro season under coach Kyle Shanahan. While the team and Samuel separated in 2024 under tense circumstances, money talks, and Samuel knows the 49ers is where he can shine the best.
With the Commanders, he had 727 yards and five touchdowns and led the team in both categories. However, Samuel did average a career-low 10.1 yards per catch. Given that Shanahan has the best knowledge on how to exploit Samuel, this could become a win-win situation.
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The Commanders now need a new WR2
Samuel played second-fiddle to Terry McLaurin on the Commanders. However, given McLaurinâs injuries, he ended up with more games, yards, and touchdowns. Still, McLaurin averaged 12.8 more yards per game than Samuel. Given McLaurinâs age and injury history, the Commanders are now urged to bring a new weapon, and hopefully a young one.
The Commanders have the seventh pick in the NFL Draft, though they might need to address other needs with that pick. Still, they could select a guy like Carnell Tate to bring a downfield menace to play alongside Jayden Daniels on offense.
