The legal tampering started one week ago tomorrow, and veteran wide receiver Deebo Samuel is still looking for his next NFL home. A second-round in the 2019 NFL Draft, the South Carolina product spent most of his career with the San Francisco 49ers, but the 2025 season with the Washington Commanders. While the Commanders themselves had a disappointing season, Samuel had a strong year as one of the few consistent pieces on offense. Appearing in 16 games, the wideout finished the season with 72 receptions for 727 yards and five touchdowns on 99 targets.
At the peak of his career, Deebo Samuel was one of the most dangerous and unique players in the league, capable of beating defenses as a receiver and in the backfield. While he has slowed down a bit now that he’s entering his age-30 season, he’s still a solid veteran who should find an NFL home sooner rather than later.
3 Teams That Could Sign Free Agent Deebo Samuel
New England Patriots
As of this posting, the New England Patriots appear to be the favorites in the A.J. Brown trade sweepstakes. The Philadelphia Eagles probably won’t trade him until after June 1st for salary cap reasons, but Deebo Samuel could be a nice fallback plan for the Patriots. With Stefon Diggs gone, budding superstar Drake Maye is currently set to have Kayshon Boutte and free agent signee Romeo Doubs as his top two options in the passing game.
Doubs and Boutte are fine players, but they’re better off in supporting roles. Deebo Samuel is no longer the type of player who should be the primary focal point in an offense, but he’s more than capable of carving out a role for himself in this offense. New England mistakenly took N’Keal Harry over Samuel in the 2019 NFL Draft, and now might be the time to rectify that mistake.
Los Angeles Chargers
Jim Harbaugh’s Los Angeles Chargers want to win games by running the football, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t add another wide receiver in free agency. Ladd McConkey is a promising young player, but Keenan Allen might not return for another season, and Quentin Johnston is better off in a depth role.
Deebo Samuel’s ability as a runner and a receiver makes him most dangerous in an offense led by a creative mind, and offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel fits that description to a tee. The two terrorized the league in San Francisco, so it only makes sense for them to reunite for the 2025 season.
Baltimore Ravens
Throughout the John Harbaugh Era, the Baltimore Ravens loved bringing in aging wide receivers to see if they still had anything left in their tank. While head coach John Harbaugh may not be around anymore, there’s no reason to think the team couldn’t revisit this strategy with Deebo Samuel. Zay Flowers is more than capable of being the top option in this passing attack, but Lamar Jackson’s squad could use another set of hands. Seeing as they lost a great blocker in Tyler Linderbaum, the Ravens should benefit from a player like Samuel, who can quickly get open off the line of scrimmage.
Main Photo: Eric Hartline – Imagn Images
