San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle recently reflected on the departure of longtime teammate Deebo Samuel, who was traded to the Washington Commanders this offseason as part of the team's significant roster overhaul. The move brought an end to a six-year run together—Kittle was drafted in 2017, while Samuel joined the 49ers in 2019.
While the 49ers reloaded through the draft and said goodbye to several veteran players, Samuel's exit was particularly emotional for Kittle.
Appearing on the Bussin' With The Boys podcast, Kittle shared his thoughts on the move and why he believes Samuel will thrive in Washington.
"I'm happy for him that he went to Washington," Kittle said. "Guys need a fresh start sometimes, and he wanted a fresh start, and so, I'm very happy for him. I'm sad that I don't have him on my team anymore because I just loved having him around the locker room and stuff like that. But I'm happy for him."
Kittle believes Samuel landed in a promising situation with the Commanders, who reached the NFC Championship Game last season and are building around a young, dynamic core.
"I'm happy he went to Washington because Adam Peters is there, our old assistant GM, and he's the man," Kittle added. "And then, also, they're pretty good at football, too."
Samuel will be catching passes from reigning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels, a pairing Kittle seems excited about.
"He's very talented," Kittle noted of the young quarterback.
Kittle names Trent Williams as all-time most talented teammate
When asked who the most talented player he's ever played with is, Kittle gave the honor to veteran left tackle Trent Williams. Although he acknowledged having played with numerous elite teammates, Williams stood out above the rest.
"No, Trent Williams, I think, is probably the most talented player I've ever played with," Kittle said.
He marveled at how effortless Williams makes the game look, citing their first training camp together in 2020 after the 49ers traded for the All-Pro lineman. Kittle vividly recalled the competitive matchups between Williams and defensive end Nick Bosa during practices—a highlight of training camp.
"It was like 2020 training camp ... when him and Bosa just went at it—it was pretty fun to watch in training camp," Kittle said.
Kittle delved further into those memorable moments from camp, remembering another teammate's reaction to the battles in practice.
"I just remember Bosa beat him on a one-on-one rep," Kittle said. "He beat him on like one or two one-on-one reps. And in 2020, we had Jordan Reed on the team, a tight end from Washington who played with Trent, and he was like, 'Nah, man, that s--t crazy, man. I ain't ever seen Trent lose, man. This s--t crazy.'"
Williams is coming off a challenging 2024 season, having missed the final seven games due to an ankle injury. However, the All-Pro offensive lineman is now healthy and poised for a strong comeback in 2025.
"It's good," Williams recently said of his ankle. "Yeah, it's in the past. I got past that one."