49ers' spark: What Deebo Samuel brings to the offense in 2026

It's unclear how much Deebo Samuel has left in the tank after years of playing his unique brand of physical football. After one season with the Washington Commanders, the veteran wide receiver happily returned to the San Francisco 49ers, the team that selected him in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft. Surprisingly, Samuel made it through training camp relatively unscathed while several of his fellow 49ers wide receivers dealt with minor setbacks. Samuel remains a locker-room favorite, and teammates like tight end George Kittle are thrilled to have him back in the Bay Area. "We're all very happy about that," Kittle told NBC Sports Bay Area ahead of the 49ers' flight to Australia, where they will face the Los Angeles Rams in Week 1. "I love Deebo. He's like [LB] Dre [Greenlaw] to [LB] Fred [Warner], and he's like Deebo to [OT] Trent Williams. He brings the juice, gets guys going. "Every time you put on pads, you're like, 'Oh, this guy, he's one block away from a 70-yard touchdown.' And the more of those guys you can add to your roster, the better. And I think Deebo is just going to be so great for us this year." Williams recently said Samuel appears to be in the best shape of his career, which is an encouraging sign for a 49ers offense that will look to the 30-year-old receiver to provide an offensive spark in 2026. "I don't disagree," Kittle said. "I think Deebo at his best is a Deebo who people doubt. And you can just tell by the work he put in this offseason, how he looks in training camp so far, he's got that chip on his shoulder, and I think he's ready to go—not necessarily prove people wrong—but just like he's ready to go show who Deebo Samuel is again. And I think we're going to see the best version of Deebo." Samuel recorded just 802 scrimmage yards with the Commanders last season, his lowest total since an injury-shortened 2020 campaign. However, his two best NFL seasons came within head coach Kyle Shanahan's offense. Samuel recorded a career-high 1,770 scrimmage yards and 14 total touchdowns in 2021 before producing 1,117 scrimmage yards and 12 total touchdowns in 2023. His 2021 season remains the only year in which Samuel has surpassed 900 receiving yards. That season, he hauled in 1,405 receiving yards while establishing himself as one of the NFL's most dynamic offensive weapons. So, which version of Deebo Samuel are the 49ers getting in 2026? Fans will get their first preview this week when the 49ers battle the Rams in Melbourne, Australia, in Week 1. This article first appeared on 49ers Webzone and was syndicated with permission.