The San Francisco 49ers‘ wideout room has a lot of new faces after signing Mike Evans and Christian Kirk in free agency. After that, the Niners used a second-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft to select De’Zhaun Stribling.
Despite these moves, and already having third-year wideout Ricky Pearsall, there’s speculation regarding whether the 49ers should reunite with Deebo Samuel. During his six seasons with the 49ers, Samuel recorded 334 catches for 4,792 yards and scored 42 touchdowns in 81 games, per StatMuse.
Last season with the Washington Commanders, played 713 total snaps, leading to a 69.4 overall PFF grade. Samuel hauled in 72 receptions on 99 targets for 727 receiving yards and five touchdowns while averaging 10.1 yards per reception and generating 471 yards after the catch.
Samuel remains a free agent after his lone season with the Commanders, and former Niners safety Donte Whitner would like for the veteran to return to San Francisco; however, not as a wide receiver.
“Deebo has been putting in the work, and from afar, he looks like he’s in the best shape he’s been in since he first arrived with the 49ers,” Whitner said in a July 23 video from the “Grit Code Podcast.” “At first, I wanted to say, ‘No, don’t bring him back. He thought the grass was greener on the other side, and now he has to face the repercussions of leaving the 49ers organization and wanting to get out the door so quickly.’
“But then I started thinking, ‘What if you brought Deebo Samuel back and used him primarily as a running back? What would that look like for the 49ers?’”
Would Deebo Samuel Work as a Running Back?
San Francisco has Christian McCaffrey, and the team did draft Kaelon Black in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft. With McCaffrey now in his 30s, it’s clear that the 49ers see they need someone to help carry that workload to keep the veteran fresh throughout the season.
Still, maybe the Niners might want to put all the responsibility on Black to be an RB2 just yet, and Samuel being a weapon in the running and passing game for at least this season does sound compelling for Whitner.
“When you put Deebo Samuel on the field, whether you have 11 personnel, 12 personnel or 21 personnel, defenses have to match that personnel,” Whitner added. “If defenses treat Deebo Samuel like a running back and put heavier players on the field, he instantly creates matchup problems for linebackers and safeties.
“The formation also stops revealing the play. He can line up in the backfield, the slot, or out wide, and guess who’s going to match up with him? A linebacker or a safety. He creates a powerful one-two punch with Christian McCaffrey.
“If you put both of those guys on the field together instead of making Deebo the traditional backup, both players can be on the field at the same time. The defense has to identify who’s the running back and who’s lined up at wide receiver. That creates another competitive advantage.”
A Scenario In Which 49ers Wideouts Don’t Get Impacted
Moreover, Whitner believes Samuel can remain productive without cutting into the workload of the 49ers’ new-look wide receivers.
“He doesn’t have to take Mike Evans’ spot, and he doesn’t have to take De’Zhaun Stribling’s spot,” Whitner said. “You can align all of those guys on the field together, and the defense has to match up with an extra defensive back on the field. Competitive advantage, 49ers. Competitive advantage, Deebo Samuel. He still has the speed, he still has the quickness, and you better believe he has that chip on his shoulder. He’s extremely motivated.
“Now you have George Kittle and Deebo Samuel, who bring a physical presence to the offense, and a lot of defenses do not want to face those guys. So I think you give him another chance, but only under one circumstance: Deebo Samuel has to understand his role. He has to know that he’s not the primary option anymore. He’s a utility player. That’s the only way I would bring Deebo Samuel back.”
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