The San Francisco 49ers are bringing back former star wide receiver Deebo Samuel after one year apart, according to a league source who was granted anonymity because the deal is not official. Samuel will sign a one-year contract.
The 30-year-old spent the first six years of his career with the 49ers, earning a first-team All-Pro selection in 2021, before being traded to the Washington Commanders for a fifth-round pick last offseason.
Samuel’s return to San Francisco comes after 49ers wide receivers Ricky Pearsall (knee) and Christian Kirk (calf) missed practice at training camp this week because of injuries. Pearsall experienced swelling in his right knee, the same knee in which he injured his PCL in September, which kept him out of eight games in 2025 and limited him at times when he was on the field.
Pearsall could be looking at surgery and a lengthy absence in 2026.
Kirk, 29, has a calf strain. He joined the 49ers as a free agent in March, along with former Tampa Bay Buccaneers star wideout Mike Evans.
