The San Francisco 49ers reunited with wide receiver Deebo Samuel on a one-year, $7 million contract this week, sparking speculation about how the versatile playmaker will be used during his second stint with the team.

Will he be the No. 2 wideout opposite veteran Mike Evans, or a key playmaker behind Evans and rookie De'Zhaun Stribling, who is having an impressive training camp?


Assistant head coach and offensive line coach Chris Foerster, who is serving as the 49ers' interim head coach while Kyle Shanahan recovers from a concussion, offered some insight into the team's plans for the 30-year-old receiver.

"I've been here, I think, since we drafted Deebo," Foerster said after Friday's practice. "When the ball's in Deebo's hands, there's a lot of special things that he can do, so you find as many different ways to get the ball in his hands so he can impact the game in a special way. We'll look at that, obviously, as many ways as we can to involve him in the game plan."

Samuel was not on the field for Friday's practice. Although the two sides agreed to terms on Thursday and the veteran receiver returned to the Bay Area, he still needed to complete his physical before officially joining the team.

He could make his return to the practice field as early as Saturday morning.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the 49ers and Samuel had been discussing a reunion for weeks. However, a setback involving wide receiver Ricky Pearsall likely accelerated the process. Pearsall is dealing with knee swelling related to last year's PCL injury, an issue that could ultimately require surgery.


As for Samuel's role within the offense, Foerster indicated that the coaching staff will determine the best way to maximize his unique skill set as he settles back into the system, which shouldn't take long, given the receiver's familiarity with the offense.

"I think there's been a lot of conversations over the time trying to get this thing done," Foerster shared, "and I'm not sure it's something we really know at this point. I think it can all play out. One thing about Deebo is he can do a lot of different things. He can carry the ball in the backfield, motions, play receiver.

"Everything Deebo brings to the table, we're going to take full advantage of all of his skill sets, so wherever that fits best. The good thing is with him, he kind of fits a lot of places."

Samuel enjoyed the best season of his career with the 49ers in 2021, totaling 1,770 scrimmage yards and 14 touchdowns while earning first-team All-Pro honors. While he may no longer be at that peak, the coaching staff believes he remains one of the NFL's most difficult players to defend because of his rare combination of strength and explosiveness.

"He's different as a receiver when you look at his body type," Foerster said. "He's just so hard to tackle. That's one thing about him. For a guy that plays the position that he plays, he's just a hard guy to tackle. He catches a wide receiver's screen, catches the ball in the backfield, he catches a route, slant or something, next thing you know it can go to the house.


"He's just a big, strong guy. That's really hard for people to tackle. He's got a unique body type for the position and a very unique style of running with the speed that he has. He's just a very unique talent."

Whether Samuel lines up at wide receiver, takes handoffs out of the backfield, or creates mismatches in motion, the 49ers hope to capitalize on the versatility that once made him one of the league's most feared offensive weapons.

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