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Niners to trade WR Deebo Samuel to Commanders

Sat Mar 1 9:21pm ET
Field Level Media

The San Francisco 49ers' Deebo Samuel is getting his wish to be traded.

The 49ers are set to deal the one-time All Pro and Pro Bowl wide receiver to the Washington Commanders for a fifth-round draft pick, multiple media outlets reported on Saturday.

Trades cannot be made official until the league's new year opens on March 12.

The Commanders are to pay Samuel's 2025 salary of $17.55 million, and the 49ers will absorb more than $31 million of dead money on the coming year's salary cap, ESPN reported.

Samuel, no stranger to contract disputes with San Francisco, said on Super Bowl Sunday that he wanted to be dealt. He had made a similar demand after his dominant 2001 season, when he had 1,405 yards receiving, 365 rushing and 14 touchdowns overall.

Niners general manager John Lynch said at the combine that the team would work on trading him, and gave Samuel and agent Tory Dandy permission to hunt for an interested team.

The Commanders, who exploded to a 12-5 season under rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels and advanced to the NFC Championship Game, have prior links to Samuel, 29.

Washington's run game coordinator, Anthony Lynn, was the Niners' assistant head coach and running backs coach in 2022-23. Also, Commanders second-year general manager Adam Peters served as San Francisco's vice president of player personnel when the Niners drafted Samuel in the second round (36th overall) out of South Carolina in 2019.

Hit hard by injuries, the 49ers limped to a 6-11 finish, which included losses in seven of their last eight games.

Samuel dealt with rib and calf injuries but played in 15 games, all starts. He made 51 catches for 670 yards, had 42 carries for 136 yards and a total of four touchdowns.

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Deebo Samuel Mar 2 6:29pm CT
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Dynasty | Wide receiver Deebo Samuel has been traded to the Washington Commanders in exchange for a fifth-round pick. Dynasty Analysis: Samuel was destined to be on the move for some time and now it's official. The price tag for Washington is more than palatable as a fifth-round pick seems more than reasonable. He'll slot in alongside Terry McLaurin to create a solid duo for star quarterback Jayden Daniels. As for Samuel's dynasty value, that's still tough to assess. There's no doubting his talent, but he's also three years removed from that magical 2021 season where he posted over 1,400 receiving yards and 365 rushing yards (both career highs). His allure as a WR1 has long since faded, but his status as a WR2 should be safe.

Myles Garrett Mar 2 6:28pm CT
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Matthew Stafford Mar 2 6:27pm CT
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Fantasy Spin: Jones rushed for a career-high 1,138 yards this past season and probably will receive most of the work at running back if he stays with the Vikings. He can be at least a No. 3 running back in all fantasy leagues next season.

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Fantasy Spin: Godwin likely will receive interest from several teams if he hits the free-agent market, but the Buccaneers seem to be the leading candidate for Godwin. He will be a weekly starting option in fantasy leagues next season.

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Aaron Rodgers Mar 2 11:30am CT
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