Christian McCaffrey says 49ers would welcome Deebo Samuel reunion

A reunion between Deebo Samuel and the San Francisco 49ers may seem unlikely after the wide receiver pushed for a trade last year. The 49ers ultimately sent Samuel to the Washington Commanders, where he finished the season with 802 scrimmage yards—the second-lowest total of his NFL career.

While Samuel is no longer the dominant force he was in 2021, when he amassed 1,770 scrimmage yards, he could still serve as a valuable complementary weapon in the right offense. Samuel is scheduled to become a free agent, and it remains unclear whether Washington plans to bring him back.

If Samuel were receptive to a return, it appears the door would welcome the wide receiver.

"Deebo's one of my favorite guys I've ever played with," 49ers star running back Christian McCaffrey told Kay Adams on Up & Adams on Thursday. "We all love Deebo. Our whole staff loves Deebo. All of the players on the team love Deebo. We love Deebo."

Adams followed up by asking whether the locker room would truly welcome Samuel back, given the trade request and last offseason's drama.

"I think, yeah, there's no question that he would be welcomed back," McCaffrey confirmed.

McCaffrey went on to explain what made Samuel such a unique and valuable presence in the 49ers' offense.

"He has such good energy," McCaffrey said. "He's somebody that, when the ball's in his hands, you can see, a lot of times, the fear in defenses. And he was such a great component to our offense because you can get him the ball in so many different ways.

"He's like an enforcer on the offense, in ways. He'll run through your face, he can catch the ball, he can run the ball, he can run any route in the route tree, and if you want to tackle him, it comes with consequences. So he's just a great guy to have on your team, and I appreciated the time I got to play with him."

Now 30 years old, questions remain about how much wear and tear Samuel's physical playing style has taken over the years and whether he can still be the same difference-maker. It's unlikely Samuel and the 49ers will see eye-to-eye on the receiver's current value.

At the same time, the 49ers could be facing a thin wide receiver room. Brandon Aiyuk has likely played his final snap for the team, Jauan Jennings is set to become a free agent, and Ricky Pearsall is coming off an injury-plagued 2025 season. San Francisco is widely expected to bolster the group in free agency or the draft.