Why Kyle Shanahan Didn't Initially Believe 49ers Would Bring Back Deebo Samuel

Why Kyle Shanahan didn't initially believe 49ers would bring back Deebo Samuel originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Kyle Shanahan did not think the 49ers would have a real role for Deebo Samuel when free agency opened. Three injuries later, that entirely has changed.

Speaking to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco on 49ers Game Plan, Shanahan explained just how crowded the 49ers’ receiver room looked when Samuel became available — and why signing him did not initially make much practical sense.

“When we went through free agency, I didn’t believe we were going to have the luxury to sign someone like Deebo,” Shanahan said. “We got Mike [Evans], we signed Christian Kirk earlier in free agency, we had a good rookie in Stribling, hoping Christian Kirk comes back healthy. Love D-Rob[Demarcus Robinson], and we had young guys in [Jacob] Cowing and Jordan Watkins. That made us really deep. It didn’t make a ton of sense — like, you got to bring Deebo here to be your one, two or three receiver.”

Shanahan said he was honest with Samuel about that exact uncertainty during their conversations.

“If there isn’t the right spot for you, dude, if you come here, we’re going to use you. We got a lot of receivers, so we can’t promise you an exact role,” Shanahan said. “But one thing I know for sure — you could be our kick returner, possibly a punt returner. We’re going to get you out there, use you as a running back sometimes, a receiver sometimes. It might not quite be the same because we’re pretty deep.”

Samuel signed anyway.

“When he heard all that, he still got excited. He liked the opportunity,” Shanahan said. “He was comparing it to other places. I knew he was comfortable with us, and he ended up thinking it was the thing for him.”

The math has changed dramatically since. Ricky Pearsall’s season ended before it started; De’Zhaun Stribling went down in Week 1 with an injury expected to sideline him for roughly 10 weeks, and Robinson was hurt in Week 2 — leaving Samuel with a far larger workload than either side initially expected.

“Now we truly do need him in those spots,” Shanahan said. “He’s always been good enough to be in that spot — we were just a lot deeper. I think it’s worked out well for Deebo that he gets a lot more opportunities now.”

What began as a depth signing with an uncertain role has turned into exactly the kind of reunion Shanahan never fully expected to need — Samuel now positioned as one of the 49ers’ most essential pieces, not because the plan called for it, but because injuries made it necessary.

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