Deebo Samuel has been granted permission by the 49ers to find a trade partner for the receiver, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Schefter is reporting that Samuel asked the 49ers to trade him after his players exit meeting following the season.
Samuel is coming off an underwhelming campaign in 2024-25. In 15 games, he finished with 51 catches for 670 receiving yards and three touchdowns while catching only 63.8% of his targets. Samuel also wasn’t as effective as a rusher, finishing with 136 yards and only one touchdown on 42 carries. Overall, he averaged a career-low 3.2 YPC.
Usage-wise, Samuel handled an 18% target share this season, which ranked fourth for the 49ers and is the lowest rate he has seen since his second season in 2020. Samuel has clearly fallen down the pecking order in San Francisco and his wish to be traded isn’t a surprise given his decline in usage. Furthermore, moving Samuel makes sense for the 49ers, as they certainly want to give second-year receiver Ricky Pearsall a larger role next season after the former first-round pick out of Florida flashed great upside at the end of his rookie campaign.
While Samuel’s numbers last season were modest by his standards, he is still only 29 years old and finding a new home shouldn’t difficult for the former All-Pro receiver. One team to keep an eye on as a potential landing spot for Samuel is the New England Patriots, as they are in desperate need of a playmaking receiver to pair with Drake Maye.
