Huge receiver Deebo Samuel known as his departure from San Francisco “bittersweet” however stated Washington was all the time one among 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 trying ahead and saying, “D.C., we coming.”
“I bought a sense this season is about to be one among them ones,” Samuel wrote.
Samuel stated he appreciates the place the 49ers despatched him and that there is “not a lick of unhealthy blood relating to me and that group. It is all the time love.”
Washington traded a fifth-round choose for Samuel on Saturday; the commerce shall be official as soon as the brand new league yr begins March 12. Samuel has one yr 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 assume he knew how onerous 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, turned a harmful offensive weapon for San Francisco, able to huge performs as a working again as nicely. He completed his time in San Francisco with 4,792 receiving yards and 22 touchdowns whereas working for one more 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 by which he completed with 806 yards from scrimmage — his lowest complete since his second yr 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 every part,” Samuel wrote. “We talked about why we thought it was an excellent transfer for each of us. And pay attention, for John and Kyle to ship me to a crew within the NFC that was nearly a Tremendous Bowl contender, it simply exhibits you the kind of love and relationship that we have now. I do know on the finish of the day, they did not have to try this.”
Samuel stated he preferred taking part in for Shanahan, although the journey was bumpy at instances.
“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 all the time 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 stated their relationship was deeper than only a coach-player one.
“Kyle is aware of rattling close to every part that I have been by means of in my life, and I rattling close to know every part he finished been by means of,” Samuel wrote. “It is like that. It is a bond you would by no means break. So, we talked it out. It was onerous, in its personal manner. However greater than something, I used to be simply pleased with the way in which we each dealt with it, as males.”
Samuel joins a Washington crew coming off a loss within the NFC Championship Recreation at Philadelphia, the furthest the crew has gone because the 1991 season. Daniels starred as a rookie quarterback, incomes NFL Offensive Rookie of the 12 months honors and ending seventh in MVP voting.
Daniels and 49ers large receiver Brandon Aiyuk are greatest buddies from their time collectively at Arizona State; Samuel stated he began watching Daniels when he performed at LSU due to Aiyuk. Additionally, Commanders basic supervisor Adam Peters spent 5 years as an assistant basic supervisor in San Francisco with Samuel. Washington’s run sport coordinator, Anthony Lynn, was an assistant head coach/working backs with the 49ers in 2022 and 2023.
“This is without doubt one of the absolute best matches for me, the place I can go in and assist a crew,” 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. Positively able to work with Terry for positive, as a result of we got here within the league on the identical time. I’ve heard how onerous he grinds. I am simply able to match the vitality and get to it.”
Samuel mirrored on his journey from taking part in Pop Warner to his time on the College of South Carolina. He regarded again on his two Tremendous Bowl losses with the 49ers and the way shut the groups have 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 glad as a result of that is one thing that I needed,” he wrote. “However because the day went on, my thoughts simply stored fading off to all these rattling reminiscences, man.”
