Insider Gives Brutal Update on Texans' Pursuit of Deebo Samuel

The 2025 NFL offseason has kicked off with a ton of chatter surrounding the potential changes taking place around the league at the wide receiver position.

Several names have been thrown out as potential movers via free agency or trade, with one of those candidates being San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel. The 29-year-old pass catcher is entering the final year of his contract in the Bay, and the team has since permitted him to seek a trade.

And with their wide receiver questions brewing to start this offseason, the Houston Texans have remained right in the mix of the rumors regarding Samuel. Yet, per recent developments from The Athletic insider Dianna Russini, they might not be as interested as once believed.

According to Russini, the Texans and Denver Broncos have emerged as two destinations Samuel would take an interest in playing for, but neither is expected to make an offer for the receiver's services.

"Niners GM John Lynch said the team planned to honor wide receiver Deebo Samuel’s request to start fresh in a new spot," Russini said. "Samuel is interested in playing for the Broncos and Texans, but neither team is expected to make an offer."

Samuel potentially sees an ideal fit next to C.J. Stroud and Nico Collins in Houston's offense for next season, but of course, any deal involving the 49ers receiver takes two to tango, and the Texans may not be willing to do what it takes to add him.

Signs point to the Texans addressing their wide receiver position at some point this offseason. Stefon Diggs will be an unrestricted free agent with a foggy future in Houston, while Tank Dell will be recovering from his gruesome leg injury seen last season, and could be out of the fold until 2026.

Reinforcements will be enacted, but Samuel has some concerns the Texans may want to steer clear of. He's closing in on 30 years old and coming off one of his worst seasons in recent memory, logging his lowest success rate, receptions, and yards per game, there's reason to be hesitant in his long-term future.

Samuel is a proven All-Pro receiver with the ability to be a dynamic weapon around the field when at his best, but Houston may have reservations about that production coming to form as expected.

Considerable time remains in the offseason for the Texans to have a change of heart, but you may not want to hold your breath on the pairing coming to fruition in the coming weeks.

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