The San Francisco 49ers had a clear reason in parting with Deebo Samuel earlier in the offseason, but will his departure prove too great of a loss for Kyle Shanahan’s offense? originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The San Francisco 49ers’ vision through the opening months of the offseason was relatively clear. They needed to get younger and cheaper, meaning the sacrifice of some big names on both sides.
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Many of those losses happened in free agency. San Francisco watched 11 starters from last year’s team walk, resulting in a major free agency deficit for the team.
Those were not the only major losses for the Niners. San Francisco also traded Deebo Samuel to the Washington Commanders, a poster move for the Niners’ new mindset.
Of all the losses sustained the last few months, Jared Dubin of CBS Sports argues that Samuel was the biggest for Kyle Shanahan’s team.
“He was a huge part of the offense as a receiver, runner and gadget player, and the 49ers don’t have anyone else who can do everything that he can do.
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“He obviously wasn’t the same player last year as he was at his peak and San Francisco still has plenty of skill-position options, but things are going to look a lot different without him in 2025.”
Samuel’s departure leaves the Niners with a core of Brandon Aiyuk, Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall to surround quarterback Brock Purdy. That’s a fine group though lacking in experience.
Regardless, both Jennings and Pearsall were up to the challenge last season when Aiyuk missed a majority of the season. Jennings ended the year with 975 yards and six touchdowns. Pearsall on the other hand had 400 yards in a shortened 11-game campaign.
There are some aspects of Samuel’s game that none of these players can replicate, but does that mean he will be their biggest loss? A draft board can reveal such secrets at times and the Niners did not look at a receiver until they made their sixth pick of the weekend.
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If Samuel was the Niners’ biggest loss, they have not expressed such concern from their offseason moves thus far.
Samuel’s uniqueness as a player will leave some things to be missed. But by no means are the Niners not equipped to handle life after him.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
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