San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel is officially listed as ‘out’ on the team’s Week 18 injury report, meaning his four-touch, 17-yard, one-touchdown performance against the Detroit Lions in Week 17 could be his last in red and gold.
Samuel, who is nursing rib and wrist injuries, has one year left on his contract. His 2024 campaign was arguably the worst of his career and it came at an inopportune time for the one-time All-Pro.
His down year came on the heels of San Francisco selecting WR Ricky Pearsall in the first round of the draft, and coincided with WR Jauan Jennings’s breakout campaign. With Brandon Aiyuk still slotted as the team’s long-term No. 1 wide receiver, the space for Samuel to operate is starting to shrink.
If he was still playing at an All-Pro level, it would be a no-brainer to pay to keep him in 2025 and beyond. However, his play fell-off precipitously in 2024.
He posted 51 catches, the fewest full-season total of his career. His 670 receiving yards are the second-fewest of his career, and his 3.2 yards per carry were the lowest of his career. Samuel also struggled to break tackles through most of the year, finishing with 25 missed tackles forced on 93 touches (.27 per touch) according to Pro Football Focus. For reference, in 2023 he forced 55 missed tackles on 97 touches (.57 per touch). In 2022 he forced 59 on 98 touches (.60 per touch).
To make room for Pearsall and Jennings and to shave a little bit off their salary cap number for next year, the 49ers could designate Samuel as a post-June 1 release to take a $10,751,753 dead cap hit. They’d also pick up $5,206,105 in savings in 2025 according to Over the Cap.
They could also aim to trade him during this year’s draft. Samuel was in a ton of trade rumors leading up to the 2024 draft and despite a down year, a WR-needy team may still be eager to connect with one of the league’s most versatile offensive weapons in exchange for a mid-round pick.
Parting with Samuel may make sense from a roster and cap perspective, but it would signal a pretty substantial shift in the 49ers’ roster makeup. Samuel has been an integral piece of San Francisco’s offense since he joined the club as a second-round pick in the 2019 draft. His 2021 All-Pro season where he racked up 1,405 receiving yards and 365 rushing yards may never be touched by another WR in NFL history.
However, the 49ers are at the point where some tough decisions will need to be made on veterans. Even veterans as meaningful as Samuel. Given what we know about what’s ahead for the 49ers’ roster and salary cap constraints, there’s a strong chance his Week 17 performance was his last as a 49er.