Broad receiver Deebo Samuel referred to as his departure from San Francisco “bittersweet” however mentioned Washington was at all times considered one of his most well-liked locations after requesting a commerce from the 49ers partially due to quarterback Jayden Daniels.
Samuel, in a 2,136-word essay for The Gamers’ Tribune, mirrored on his six seasons with San Francisco and termed his relationship with coach Kyle Shanahan “ridiculous” whereas additionally wanting ahead and saying, “D.C., we coming.”
“I received a sense this season is about to be considered one of them ones,” Samuel wrote.
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Samuel mentioned he appreciates the place the 49ers despatched him and that there is “not a lick of unhealthy blood in relation to me and that group. It is at all times love.”
Washington traded a fifth-round choose for Samuel on Saturday; the commerce might be official as soon as the brand new league 12 months begins March 12. Samuel has one 12 months remaining on his contract.
He requested Shanahan for a commerce in a gathering with him after the season, saying he advised the coach he did not suppose he knew how laborious it was for him to have this dialog. ESPN’s Adam Schefter broke the information on Tremendous Bowl Sunday.
Samuel, a second-round choose in 2019, grew to become a harmful offensive weapon for San Francisco, able to huge performs as a working again as properly. He completed his time in San Francisco with 4,792 receiving yards and 22 touchdowns whereas working for an additional 1,143 yards and 20 scores. In his All-Professional season of 2021, Samuel completed with 1,770 yards and 14 touchdowns from scrimmage.
However after a irritating season during which he completed with 806 yards from scrimmage — his lowest complete since his second 12 months when he performed in solely seven video games — Samuel needed out.
“After I talked with Kyle, I talked to [GM] John [Lynch], and he understood the place I used to be coming from and gave me his perspective on all the things,” Samuel wrote. “We talked about why we thought it was an excellent transfer for each of us. And hear, for John and Kyle to ship me to a staff within the NFC that was virtually a Tremendous Bowl contender, it simply reveals you the kind of love and relationship that now we have. I do know on the finish of the day, they did not have to try this.”
Samuel mentioned he appreciated enjoying for Shanahan, although the experience was bumpy at occasions.
“One minute, he wanna knock my head off, and the subsequent he is simply going loopy, excited at one thing I am doing,” he wrote. “I’ve at all times felt like he coaches me more durable than anyone else as a result of on the finish of the day, he is aware of I ain’t no sensitive-ass participant.”
However Samuel mentioned their relationship was deeper than only a coach-player one.
“Kyle is aware of rattling close to all the things that I have been by way of in my life, and I rattling close to know all the things he carried out been by way of,” Samuel wrote. “It is like that. It is a bond you could possibly by no means break. So, we talked it out. It was laborious, in its personal means. However greater than something, I used to be simply happy with the way in which we each dealt with it, as males.”
Samuel joins a Washington staff coming off a loss within the NFC Championship Recreation at Philadelphia, the furthest the staff has gone because the 1991 season. Daniels starred as a rookie quarterback, incomes NFL Offensive Rookie of the Yr honors and ending seventh in MVP voting.
Daniels and 49ers broad receiver Brandon Aiyuk are greatest associates from their time collectively at Arizona State; Samuel mentioned he began watching Daniels when he performed at LSU due to Aiyuk. Additionally, Commanders common supervisor Adam Peters spent 5 years as an assistant common supervisor in San Francisco with Samuel. Washington’s run recreation coordinator, Anthony Lynn, was an assistant head coach/working backs with the 49ers in 2022 and 2023.
“This is likely one of the very best suits for me, the place I can go in and assist a staff,” Samuel wrote. “When my agent requested me the place I needed to go, this was one of many groups on the prime of my listing. I knew [Daniels] was going to be a stud. Undoubtedly able to work with Terry for certain, as a result of we got here within the league on the similar time. I’ve heard how laborious he grinds. I am simply able to match the vitality and get to it.”
Samuel mirrored on his journey from enjoying Pop Warner to his time on the College of South Carolina. He seemed again on his two Tremendous Bowl losses with the 49ers and the way shut the groups had been, writing that “our locker room gave faculty vibes.” That is why he labeled his departure bittersweet. He thanked the teaching employees, the cooks and tools managers, amongst others.
“When the commerce occurred I used to be joyful as a result of that is one thing that I needed,” he wrote. “However because the day went on, my thoughts simply saved fading off to all these rattling reminiscences, man.”
