Amid star wide receiver Deebo Samuel’s return to the San Francisco 49ers, one coach is well aware of a golden opportunity to utilize the veteran’s skill set.
Samuel is best known for his pass-catching ability and making a run on a jet sweep, but he has also been a threat as a kick returner. Niners special teams coordinator Brant Boyer said that’s on his radar.
“Well, certainly when they told me that he was coming I was like, ‘Hell yeah. Let’s go,’” Boyer told reporters on Monday. “Because he is a difference maker. He’s obviously proven and he’s done it at a very, very high level. I’m really anxious, we were all talking about it, to get him in our scheme.”
“I’ve watched him and really liked what he’s done throughout his career, liked him coming out of college,” Boyer added. “He’s a hell of a player and he’s really tough to tackle. He’s got speed to take it to the house all the time. Again, any time you can add a guy like that to the roster, you’re jumping up for joy as a special teams coach.”
Deebo Samuel’s Kick-Returning Skills Have Only Improved
Samuel returned 41 kicks in his career between 2021 and 2025, and he averaged 29.6 yards per return. His numbers haven’t dipped since the dynamic kick, too, as he averaged 30.1 yards per return with the Washington Commanders last year.
Samuel’s career longs on kick returns actually arrived after the dynamic kick-off. He returned a kick 60 yards for the 49ers in 2024, and he had an average of 31.4 yards per return. His latest big return came with the Commanders last season when he went 69 yards.
San Francisco utilized him minimally earlier in his career with just nine returns between 2021 and 2023. He averaged at least 25.7 yards per return in that span, so Samuel has been a constant on kick returning when called upon.
49ers Kicker Job Solidified to Brant Boyer’s Relief
Boyer won’t need to worry about the kicker position this year, as Eddy Pineiro had a big season in 2025 with a 28-29 mark on field-goals.
“There’s a lot of things that are different this year, obviously, but specifically Eddy,” Boyer said. “I think that there was so much going back and forth on what was going to happen and things like that that it’s good to have a guy that has done it for me before and for quite a while.”
Pineiro had a one-year, $1.17 million deal with the team last year, so it behooved the 49ers to extend Pineiro. It happened in time before he could disappear in free agency during March, when San Francisco re-signed him for a four-year, $17 million deal.
“He did a great job last year. Couldn’t have done a better job,” Boyer said. “He’s worked on some things this offseason. I think he’s come pretty far in quite a few things. He’s worked on his kickoffs. You can tell he’s worked in the offseason despite getting his contract. I was happy as hell to see him get paid for his work. He’s worked a long time and stuff like that. I’m really happy for the guy and I think that everybody knows that they can count on him, so it’s in a good situation.”
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