The 49ers have moved off their star wide receiver for draft compensation. Deebo Samuel is headed to the Washington Commanders in exchange for a fifth-round pick
The San Francisco 49ers have agreed to send former All-Pro wide receiver Deebo Samuel to the Washington Commanders in exchange for a fifth-round pick.
Talks between the 49ers and Commanders really ramped up in the last 24 hours, according to FOX Sports’s Jordan Schultz, as Washington wanted to add another weapon alongside Terry McLaurin for Jayden Daniels.
Other teams reported to be in the mix were the Houston Texans, Denver Broncos, and Pittsburgh Steelers, but the Commanders were the clear front-runner and shored up a major hole with the addition of Samuel.
Kyle’s update, 4:12 pm PT: Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Washington agreed to take on the remainder of Deebo’s contract. They will pay his $17.55 million salary in 2025. If you’re the Commanders and have the cap space to take on Samuel, it’s a no-brainer. Samuel will be a great fit in Kliff Kingsbury’s offense.
The 49ers “only” get a fifth-round pick for Samuel, but they get off of paying him when he’s not on the roster.
Samuel, 29, was drafted by the 49ers in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft and signed a three-year, $71.55 million deal with the team in 2022 following his All-Pro season.
However, he’ll play the final year of that contract in Washington, as the wide receiver’s request for some fresh scenery was granted on Saturday.
The trade will not officially be processed until the new league year, but San Francisco stands to take on a $31.5 million dead cap hit this season for trading Samuel.
Samuel had requested a trade earlier this offseason, citing the desire for a fresh start after coming off a career-worst season in per-game averages in a number of categories. Catching 51 passes for 670 yards over 15 games for the 49ers, the wideout took a step back from his 2023 year, where he totaled over 1,000 yards from scrimmage.
Samuel now joins a Washington Commanders team that includes some familiar faces, including general manager Adam Peters, and will hope to bolster a wide receiver unit that is lacking in proven quality options behind star wideout Terry McLaurin.