Deebo Samuel has requested a trade from the 49ers, and GM John Lynch says the team will try to accommodate that desire. The 49ers aren't exactly a rebuilding organization, so their willingness to move on from one of their top talents says a lot.
Just three years ago, Samuel was one of the league's elite players, an All Pro wideout who put up 1,770 scrimmage yards, 14 touchdowns and averaging a league-best 18.2 yards per catch. He was the No. 3 wideout in PPR scoring, behind only Cooper Kupp and Davante Adams. But that seems like a long time ago now.
Today he's a 29-year-old whose dual-threat usage as receiver and runner seems to have taken a toll. He's missed multiple games three years in a row (in fairness, just eight total) and been sidelined or limited in parts of others. And his explosiveness with the ball in his hands isn't the same.
I looked at yards per touch; yards generated by wide receivers on both receptions and runs. I pulled the numbers from the past four years, which include Samuel's All-Pro season, and then his three years since that heavily-used year. Not the same player anymore.
In 2021, Samuel's 13.0 yards per touch was a top-20 figure across those four seasons, among receivers with at least 90 total touches. In 2023, he managed a solid 11.5, at least raising the possibility that that player is still there.
But in the other two of his last three seasons, including last year, he's been down at 8.7 to 8.8 yards per touch. Those are among the worst numbers in the league for wideouts with similar involvement in their offense, comparable to a couple of guys who do all their work at the line of scrimmage -- another Samuel, Curtis, and New York's Wan'Dale Robinson.
| WIDE RECEIVER YARDS PER TOUCH, 2021-2024 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Player | Att | Run | No | Rec | TD | Y/Tch |
| 2024 | Justin Jefferson, Min. | 1 | 3 | 103 | 1533 | 10 | 14.8 |
| 2022 | Davante Adams, L.V. | 3 | -1 | 100 | 1516 | 14 | 14.7 |
| 2023 | Tyreek Hill, Mia. | 6 | 15 | 119 | 1799 | 13 | 14.5 |
| 2020 | Calvin Ridley, Atl. | 5 | 1 | 90 | 1374 | 9 | 14.5 |
| 2024 | Brian Thomas, Jac. | 6 | 48 | 87 | 1282 | 10 | 14.3 |
| 2021 | Justin Jefferson, Min. | 6 | 14 | 108 | 1616 | 10 | 14.3 |
| 2020 | Tyreek Hill, K.C. | 13 | 123 | 87 | 1276 | 17 | 14.0 |
| 2022 | Justin Jefferson, Min. | 4 | 24 | 128 | 1809 | 9 | 13.9 |
| 2023 | DJ Moore, Chi. | 4 | 21 | 96 | 1364 | 9 | 13.9 |
| 2022 | Tyreek Hill, Mia. | 7 | 32 | 119 | 1710 | 9 | 13.8 |
| 2019 | Julio Jones, Atl. | 2 | -3 | 99 | 1394 | 6 | 13.8 |
| 2023 | A.J. Brown, Phil. | 0 | 0 | 106 | 1456 | 7 | 13.7 |
| 2024 | Jerry Jeudy, Cle. | 0 | 0 | 90 | 1229 | 4 | 13.7 |
| 2023 | Puka Nacua, LAR | 12 | 89 | 105 | 1486 | 6 | 13.5 |
| 2024 | Ja'Marr Chase, Cin. | 3 | 32 | 127 | 1708 | 17 | 13.4 |
| 2021 | Cooper Kupp, LAR | 4 | 18 | 145 | 1947 | 16 | 13.2 |
| 2022 | Stefon Diggs, Buff. | 1 | -3 | 108 | 1429 | 11 | 13.1 |
| 2019 | DJ Moore, Car. | 6 | 40 | 87 | 1175 | 4 | 13.1 |
| 2021 | Deebo Samuel, S.F. | 59 | 365 | 77 | 1405 | 14 | 13.0 |
| 2021 | Davante Adams, G.B. | 0 | 0 | 123 | 1553 | 11 | 12.6 |
| 2022 | DeVonta Smith, Phil. | 0 | 0 | 95 | 1196 | 7 | 12.6 |
| 2024 | Drake London, Atl. | 1 | -3 | 100 | 1271 | 9 | 12.6 |
| 2023 | Amon-Ra St. Brown, Det. | 4 | 24 | 119 | 1515 | 10 | 12.5 |
| 2023 | CeeDee Lamb, Dall. | 14 | 113 | 135 | 1749 | 14 | 12.5 |
| 2020 | DeAndre Hopkins, Ari. | 1 | 1 | 115 | 1407 | 6 | 12.1 |
| 2019 | Cooper Kupp, LAR | 2 | 4 | 94 | 1161 | 10 | 12.1 |
| 2020 | Allen Robinson, Chi. | 1 | -1 | 102 | 1250 | 6 | 12.1 |
| 2021 | Michael Pittman, Ind. | 5 | 44 | 88 | 1082 | 6 | 12.1 |
| 2022 | CeeDee Lamb, Dall. | 10 | 47 | 107 | 1359 | 9 | 12.0 |
| 2020 | Stefon Diggs, Buff. | 1 | 1 | 127 | 1535 | 8 | 12.0 |
| 2020 | Davante Adams, G.B. | 0 | 0 | 115 | 1374 | 18 | 11.9 |
| 2021 | DJ Moore, Car. | 8 | 48 | 93 | 1157 | 4 | 11.9 |
| 2021 | Stefon Diggs, Buff. | 0 | 0 | 103 | 1225 | 10 | 11.9 |
| 2023 | Ja'Marr Chase, Cin. | 3 | -6 | 100 | 1216 | 7 | 11.7 |
| 2019 | Robert Woods, LAR | 17 | 115 | 90 | 1134 | 3 | 11.7 |
| 2022 | DK Metcalf, Sea. | 0 | 0 | 90 | 1048 | 6 | 11.6 |
| 2019 | Allen Robinson, Chi. | 1 | 2 | 98 | 1147 | 7 | 11.6 |
| 2023 | Deebo Samuel, S.F. | 37 | 225 | 60 | 892 | 12 | 11.5 |
| 2024 | Puka Nacua, LAR | 11 | 46 | 79 | 990 | 4 | 11.5 |
| 2020 | Amari Cooper, Dall. | 6 | 14 | 92 | 1114 | 5 | 11.5 |
| 2021 | Brandin Cooks, Hou. | 2 | 21 | 90 | 1037 | 6 | 11.5 |
| 2022 | Ja'Marr Chase, Cin. | 5 | 8 | 87 | 1046 | 9 | 11.5 |
| 2019 | Michael Thomas, N.O. | 1 | -9 | 149 | 1725 | 9 | 11.4 |
| 2019 | Tyler Boyd, Cin. | 4 | 23 | 90 | 1046 | 5 | 11.4 |
| 2019 | Keenan Allen, LAC | 3 | 16 | 104 | 1199 | 6 | 11.4 |
| 2023 | Keenan Allen, LAC | 2 | 6 | 108 | 1243 | 7 | 11.4 |
| 2020 | Robby Anderson, Car. | 4 | 15 | 95 | 1096 | 3 | 11.2 |
| 2019 | DeAndre Hopkins, Hou. | 2 | 18 | 104 | 1165 | 7 | 11.2 |
| 2021 | Tyreek Hill, K.C. | 9 | 96 | 111 | 1239 | 9 | 11.1 |
| 2023 | Davante Adams, L.V. | 0 | 0 | 103 | 1144 | 8 | 11.1 |
| 2021 | Chris Godwin, T.B. | 4 | 21 | 98 | 1103 | 6 | 11.0 |
| 2021 | Marquise Brown, Balt. | 1 | 5 | 91 | 1008 | 6 | 11.0 |
| 2024 | Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Sea. | 5 | 26 | 100 | 1130 | 6 | 11.0 |
| 2023 | Stefon Diggs, Buff. | 1 | 5 | 107 | 1183 | 8 | 11.0 |
| 2024 | CeeDee Lamb, Dall. | 14 | 70 | 101 | 1194 | 6 | 11.0 |
| 2022 | Amon-Ra St. Brown, Det. | 9 | 95 | 106 | 1161 | 6 | 10.9 |
| 2024 | Amon-Ra St. Brown, Det. | 2 | 6 | 115 | 1263 | 12 | 10.8 |
| 2021 | Diontae Johnson, Pitt. | 5 | 53 | 107 | 1161 | 8 | 10.8 |
| 2024 | Garrett Wilson, NYJ | 2 | 5 | 101 | 1104 | 7 | 10.8 |
| 2021 | Keenan Allen, LAC | 0 | 0 | 106 | 1138 | 6 | 10.7 |
| 2019 | Julian Edelman, N.E. | 8 | 27 | 100 | 1117 | 6 | 10.6 |
| 2024 | Malik Nabers, NYG | 5 | 2 | 109 | 1204 | 7 | 10.6 |
| 2023 | Michael Pittman, Ind. | 0 | 0 | 109 | 1152 | 4 | 10.6 |
| 2020 | Tyler Lockett, Sea. | 0 | 0 | 100 | 1054 | 10 | 10.5 |
| 2023 | Garrett Wilson, NYJ | 4 | 0 | 95 | 1042 | 3 | 10.5 |
| 2020 | Cooper Kupp, LAR | 4 | 33 | 92 | 974 | 3 | 10.5 |
| 2020 | Diontae Johnson, Pitt. | 3 | 15 | 88 | 923 | 7 | 10.3 |
| 2021 | Amon-Ra St. Brown, Det. | 7 | 61 | 90 | 912 | 6 | 10.0 |
| 2021 | Hunter Renfrow, L.V. | 3 | 3 | 103 | 1038 | 9 | 9.8 |
| 2020 | Keenan Allen, LAC | 1 | -1 | 100 | 992 | 8 | 9.8 |
| 2023 | Adam Thielen, Car. | 1 | 6 | 103 | 1014 | 4 | 9.8 |
| 2022 | Diontae Johnson, Pitt. | 7 | 25 | 86 | 882 | 0 | 9.8 |
| 2022 | Chris Godwin, T.B. | 3 | 5 | 104 | 1023 | 3 | 9.6 |
| 2021 | Jaylen Waddle, Mia. | 2 | 3 | 104 | 1015 | 7 | 9.6 |
| 2020 | Robert Woods, LAR | 24 | 155 | 90 | 936 | 8 | 9.6 |
| 2022 | Michael Pittman, Ind. | 3 | 30 | 99 | 925 | 4 | 9.4 |
| 2024 | DJ Moore, Chi. | 14 | 75 | 98 | 966 | 6 | 9.3 |
| 2020 | Curtis Samuel, Car. | 41 | 200 | 77 | 851 | 5 | 8.9 |
| 2022 | Deebo Samuel, S.F. | 42 | 232 | 56 | 632 | 5 | 8.8 |
| 2024 | Deebo Samuel, S.F. | 42 | 136 | 51 | 670 | 4 | 8.7 |
| 2020 | JuJu Smith-Schuster, Pitt. | 0 | 0 | 97 | 831 | 9 | 8.6 |
| 2022 | Curtis Samuel, Was. | 38 | 187 | 64 | 656 | 5 | 8.3 |
| 2024 | Wan'Dale Robinson, NYG | 3 | 18 | 93 | 699 | 3 | 7.5 |
With Samuel showing up respectably here in 2023, maybe he can still get back to being that kind of player. Better health, better blocking for those plays around the line of scrimmage.
But hard to imagine he'll land with an offense that can better set him up for those kind of chances than one designed by Kyle Shanahan. If it didn't happen in San Francisco in two of the last three years, it seems unlikely it will re-emerge with another team. Not that 29 years old is typically a past-your-pull-date number for a wide receiver, but all the punishment Samuel took while totaling over 200 rushing attempts in his career could have had an effect.
Optimistic to think he'll post difference-making numbers in 2025, whether in San Francisco or anywhere else.
--Andy Richardson