Did the San Francisco 49ers Win or Lose the Deebo Samuel Trade?

When the 49ers traded Deebo Samuel to the Washington Commanders for a fifth-round pick this offseason, most analysts considered this trade a win for the 49ers.

Jun 10, 2025; Ashburn, VA, USA; Washington Commanders wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. (1) runs with the ball after making a catch during drills on day one of minicamp at Commanders Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

When the 49ers traded Deebo Samuel to the Washington Commanders for a fifth-round pick this offseason, most analysts considered this trade a win for the 49ers.

The fact that they were able to offload his bloated contract was surprising considering Samuel is 29 and coming off the worst season of his career. Not only was Samuel a drag on the field, he was a drag on the sideline and in the locker room, too -- he even hit the long-snapper.

And yet, Bleacher Report gives the 49ers a C-plus and the Commanders and A for this trade.

"San Francisco wasn't as clearly a winner, considering the low return, but this wasn't the worst move for the 49ers," writes Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox.

"Samuel was entering a contract year and had asked the 49ers to help him find a new home.

"While the 49ers ate a $31 million dead-cap hit to trade Samuel, they made a clean financial break—he had void years running through 2029. This helped give general manager John Lynch a clear path extending both tight end George Kittle and quarterback Brock Purdy during the offseason.

"The Commanders, meanwhile, got a versatile offensive weapon who should complement Kliff Kingsbury's offense."

With all due respect to Knox. I don't think he understands how awful Samuel was last season.

First, he stunk as a running back. He averaged a career-worst 3.2 yards per carry and broke just one tackle. He was easily the worst ball-carrying option on the team -- worse than Patrick Taylor Jr.

As a receiver, Samuel's success rate was a mere 40.7 percent. A successful catch is one that gains 40 percent of the required yards on 1st down, 60 percent of the required yards on 2nd down, and 100 percent of the required yards on 3rd and 4th down. Only three qualifying wide receivers in the entire league had a lower success rate than Samuel last season. For a comparison, George Kittle's success rate was 73.4 -- 2nd-best in the NFL.

The 49ers won the trade.