George Kittle hints at potential 49ers reunion with Deebo Samuel

A return to the San Francisco 49ers may not be as far-fetched for Deebo Samuel as it once seemed.

After requesting a trade last year and ultimately being dealt to the Washington Commanders, a reunion between Samuel and the 49ers appeared unlikely. However, tight end George Kittle recently suggested the door may not be completely closed.

Speaking with Sports Illustrated, Kittle hinted that San Francisco could welcome back familiar faces.

"My one message for Niners fans: Hey, if a rebuild year got us 13 wins and a win in the wild card—that's pretty good," Kittle said. "It's only gonna get a little bit better from that, and all the boys are coming back again. And who knows? We might add some past friends."

When asked to clarify who those "past friends" might be, Kittle replied, "I don't know. I hung out with Deebo last night. That was fun."

Pressed on whether he would like to see Samuel return to the 49ers, Kittle simply stated, "I love Deebo. That's all. I love Deebo."

Samuel requested a trade out of the Bay Area last offseason, and San Francisco ultimately sent him to Washington in exchange for a fifth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

In 2025, Samuel recorded 72 receptions for 727 receiving yards and five touchdowns, while adding 75 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown. He has not surpassed 900 receiving yards since his All-Pro 2021 season, when he totaled 1,405 receiving yards and 365 rushing yards.

According to Spotrac, Samuel's projected annual market value sits at $13.3 million. Whether the 49ers would commit that level of investment to the 30-year-old wideout remains uncertain. The team might prefer to find a younger and more impactful playmaker in free agency or the draft.

Kittle is not alone in publicly endorsing a potential reunion with Samuel.

"Deebo's one of my favorite guys I've ever played with," running back Christian McCaffrey said last week. "We all love Deebo. Our whole staff loves Deebo. All of the players on the team love Deebo. We love Deebo."

When asked if the locker room would welcome Samuel back despite last year's offseason drama, McCaffrey said, "I think, yeah, there's no question that he would be welcomed back."

McCaffrey also emphasized Samuel's unique impact on the 49ers' offense.

"He has such good energy," McCaffrey added. "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."

H/t to Kyle Madson of Niners Wire for the find.