Why did 49ers trade Deebo Samuel? Exploring reasons for All-Pro WR's move to Commanders

The San Francisco 49ers have reportedly agreed to a trade with the Washington Commanders, sending wide receiver Deebo Samuel for a fifth-round pick. This is certainly an interesting trade as it is the first major piece to fall in the NFL offseason.

Deebo Samuel had a bit of a down season in 2024 as he played 15 games and posted 51 catches on 81 targets for 670 yards (13.1 yards per reception) with three touchdown grabs.

Let's take a look at some of the reasons why the San Francisco 49ers moved the All-Pro wideout in the first place.

Why did 49ers trade Deebo Samuel?

#1. Cap Relief

The San Francisco 49ers have a lot of players that need to be paid coming up and not as much cap space as they'd like. This move frees up a lot of money for the team and allows them to not be as pricey in the wide receiver room. With players like Brock Purdy getting ready for extensions and an expensive roster, getting ahead of things with this move could have been a catalyst.

The Washington Commanders are paying Samuel's entire 2025 salary, meaning that is no longer on the San Francisco 49ers' books and that allows the team to be able to use that money elsewhere to improve the roster going forward.

#2. Wide Receiver Redundancy

The San Francisco 49ers with Deebo Samuel had a player very similar on the roster in Brandon Aiyuk. With both having bigger contracts, this didn't make financial sense to keep them both going forward.

With the 49ers also drafting wide receiver Ricky Pearsall in the first round last year, they still have quality wide receivers even without Samuel.

#3. Get Something for Him

With the way the 49ers were going, it was clear the team was not going to re-sign Deebo Samuel once his contract expired after the 2025 season. Trading him with a year left allowed the team to acquire a pick in the NFL draft as compensation for him rather than losing him for nothing as a free agent.

The 49ers now have 11 picks in the 2025 draft with this move as they received four compensatory picks as well. The team could get younger and better going forward after missing the playoffs with this trade.