Deebo Samuel is known to be on the trade market, and the 49ers are prepared to honor his request to be moved. A pair of serious serious suitors have emerged.
The Commanders and Texans have shown “significant interest” in acquiring Samuel in recent days, Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz reports. He adds that talks have progressed at the Combine, meaning an agreement could soon be in place. While other teams could find themselves in play, Washington and Houston have been the most aggressive to date, per Schultz.
Both teams represent logical suitors for a veteran receiver addition. Washington has 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels attached to his initial NFL contract through at least 2027, giving the team a window of opportunity to make a strong push in terms of acquisitions this offseason. Bringing in a secondary option to complement Terry McLaurin is known to be on the Commanders’ radar.
McLaurin is only on the books for one more year, and none of his 2025 base salary ($15.5MM) is guaranteed. An extension could be on tap as a result, and Washington could stand to make a number of additions on the defensive side of the ball during free agency and the draft this spring. Still, adding a wideout with a stronger track record than the likes of Dyami Brown, Olamide Zaccheaus, Luke McCaffrey or Noah Brown – the latter of whom wants to re-sign – would be feasible.
Just like the Commanders, the Texans have the benefit of an affordable high-end quarterback under team control for years to come. Houston assembled a strong trio atop the WR depth chart last year, acquiring Stefon Diggs via trade from the Bills. Given his presence, along with that of Nico Collins and Tank Dell, expectations were high in 2024. The team’s offense did not preform as hoped, though, and both Diggs and Dell wound up suffering ACL tears.
Diggs is a pending free agent as a result of the restructure he worked out upon arrival in Houston. The team is open to bringing him back, but the injury could complicate his market value. Dell, meanwhile, is in danger of missing most (potentially all) of the 2025 campaign. An experienced pass-catcher would therefore be welcomed, particularly if veteran Robert Woods – who handled a small workload this past campaign – departs in free agency.
One year remains on Samuel’s pact, part of the reason he has long been seen as a trade candidate. That become true to an even larger extent last offseason when the 49ers selected Ricky Pearsall in the first round of the draft and (eventually) worked out a big-ticket extension with Brandon Aiyuk. Samuel, 29, could soon see his San Francisco tenure come to an amicable end.
