49ers to trade Deebo Samuel to NFC contender

The trade will be made official at the start of the new league year on March 12.

The Commanders moved quickly to bring Samuel in as another weapon for ascending star quarterback Jayden Daniels. The team did not have a clear secondary weapon for Daniels behind Terry McLaurin, and they clearly hope Samuel can fill that void.

At his best, Samuel is a weapon in both the passing and running game, as evidenced by his 2021 campaign that saw him tally 1,770 all-purpose yards. The 29-year-old is coming off a down season that saw him catch 51 passes for 670 yards and three touchdowns.

Samuel requested a trade at the end of the season. The 49ers were ready to move on, but there was some thought that they might be forced to cut him instead. Ultimately, Washington wanted him badly enough to take on the contract instead of hoping to get the chance to win him over on the open market.

The Commanders went 12-5 last season and made a surprising run to the NFC Championship Game. They are clearly hoping to keep the momentum going in 2025 by kicking off their offseason with this sort of high-profile move.