The San Francisco 49ers brought an old friend back into the fold this summer in Deebo Samuel. He played six seasons in San Francisco, and is reunited with several former teammates.
Among them is future Hall of Fame offensive lineman Trent Williams, who believes the wide receiver will have the best season of his career in his return to the Bay.
“Deebo is such a talented player, I think this might be the first time he’s ever faced adversity in his career where he may have felt doubted as a player. So I think we probably getting the best Deebo the league has ever seen,” Williams said on the broadcast of Thursday’s preseason opener against the Tennessee Titans.
Trent Williams on Deebo Samuel being a free agent deep into the offseason before finally signing with the 49ers:
— Coach Yac
“Deebo is such a talented player, I think this might be the first time he’s ever faced adversity in his career where he may have felt doubted as a player. So I think… pic.twitter.com/pVetashWUq(@Coach_Yac) August 14, 2026
If Williams’ prediction pans out, that would mean Samuel outperforms his 2021 numbers. That season, Samuel earned Pro Bowl honors after posting a combined 1,770 rushing and receiving yards with 12 touchdowns.
The 30-year-old had a slow free agency process as there was some doubt surrounding his abilities to maintain such a physical style of play. But playing for San Francisco should propel Samuel in the right direction and allow the versatile receiver to thrive under a system he knows well.
Samuel posted 72 catches for 727 yards and five touchdowns last season for the Washington Commanders. He also had 17 carries for 75 yards and a touchdown.
The 49ers traded Samuel to the Commanders for a fifth-round pick last offseason. After one season away from the team that drafted him in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft, Samuel once again finds himself as a key member of the 49ers offense.
The team’s loss of wide receiver Ricky Pearsall gave the 49ers motivation to get a deal done with Samuel, but head coach Kyle Shanahan revealed the veteran was already on their radar.
Pearsall is set to miss the 2026 season after undergoing season-ending surgery, which opens the door for Samuel to reestablish himself as one of San Francisco’s premier weapons.
Could this be the year that Samuel returns to his 2021 version of himself or even better? Williams seems to think so.