The San Francisco 49ers made the surprise decision to sign Deebo Samuel this week, but that does not mean the team does not have huge plans for him.
49ers president John Lynch said Saturday that the Niners had wanted to sign Samuel even before wide receiver Ricky Pearsall was ruled out for the season due to a knee injury. Lynch said the plan is to use Samuel as a running back, wide receiver, and even on return duty.
“You are going to see him in the return game, at receiver, and at running back,” Lynch said. “We are going to use him all over the field, and we are really excited to have Deebo back.”
John Lynch said Deebo Samuel is committed to returning kicks full-time for the 49ers, who wanted to bring Deebo in even before Ricky Pearsall’s knee swelling:
— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) August 1, 2026
“You are going to see him in the return game, at receiver, and at running back. We are going to use him all over the…
Samuel had his best NFL season in 2021, when the Niners used him all over the offense. That season, he caught 77 passes for 1,405 yards with 14 total touchdowns. It is probably too much to expect those sorts of numbers again, but it certainly sounds like there is a big role in Samuel’s future if he can stay healthy and embrace it.
Samuel’s production has been nowhere close to that over the past few years. Evidently, however, the 49ers were targeting him, and they got him.
