Everything about Deebo Samuel, from his name to his overtly physical play style, conjures up images of Ice Cube’s Friday. That’s exactly why the wide receiver has been a fan favorite in the seven years he has played in the National Football League, after getting drafted in the second round in 2019 by the San Francisco 49ers.
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Samuel has collected both a Pro Bowl nomination and an All-Pro title, as well as $82,428,766 in career earnings. He is a shining example of how you don’t need to be a surefire Hall of Famer to have a successful career in the NFL.
However, Samuel, who was traded to the Washington Commanders last offseason, wasn’t always the intimidating force that he’s now. In fact, during his rookie season in 2019, he quickly found out that professional football is tougher than he had initially thought.
“A coach will walk into the meeting… And he’s only talking to you for 30 minutes,” Samuel recalled. At the time, he thought he was doing better than he actually was, which apparently bothered the 49ers‘ head coach, Kyle Shanahan, that much more.
“My rookie year… You really don’t know how fast the pace is. I’m out there going in motion, cooling, and he just goes, ‘See? This [is] the dumb sh*t I’m talking about right here,‘” said Samuel, recalling how Shanahan conducted film sessions.
— football (@football845786) February 25, 2026
According to Samuel, Shanahan was notorious for playing “clip after clip,” effectively making players endure their own blooper reels. “He made the whole team meeting about one person,” added Samuel.
In hindsight, Samuel is likely a bit thankful to receive that level of criticism. It inevitably helped him to become the 49ers’ leading receiver just two seasons later. His 1,405 yards in 2021, which remains his career best, included an 18.2 yards-per-reception average that led the league that season. The performance earned him the Pro Bowl and All-Pro titles.
After spending the first six seasons of his career with the 49ers, Samuel signed a one-year, $17.5-million contract with the Washington Commanders last March. He now finds himself as a pending free agent, and it is worth noting that there are some whispers of a potential reunion with San Francisco, which is now in the market for a wide receiver thanks to Brandon Aiyuk.
The Commanders have the fifth most cap space of any team in the league right now. And with Jayden Daniels needing as many weapons as possible right now, it’s just as possible that Samuel could remain in Washington. Despite him having a bit of obvious wear and tear, it seems as if there’s still a healthy market for Deebo.
