The San Francisco 49ers stunned the NFL when they traded Deebo Samuel to the Washington Commanders this offseason.
Niners quarterback Brock Purdy was emotional when asked about the impact of Samuel’s departure on Bussin’ With the Boys.
Samuel, who had 89 targets in 2023 and 81 targets in 2024, was integral to Purdy’s development. The pair developed instant chemistry in San Francisco’s offense.
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Purdy said, “Deebo believed in me from day one.
“In games, we fed off each other’s energy and building each other up. It was awesome. And over the last couple of years, the same thing. We created a great relationship. He’s my brother.”
Samuel’s departure leaves a huge hole to fill in the San Francisco offense. It was a necessary move with how messy their cap sheet had become, but the Niners have taken away one of Purdy’s most trusted targets. Meanwhile, Christian McCaffrey was only available for four games last season, and Brandon Aiyuk is still recovering from tearing his ACL and MCL during week seven of the 2024 season.
Purdy and the Niners are dependent on the development of Ricky Pearsall and Jauan Jennings maintaining his production from 2024, when he recorded 975 receiving yards and six touchdowns.
Pressure On Shanahan
Kyle Shanahan is one of the most inventive offensive coaches in NFL history. He will need to be at his best to compensate for Samuel’s absence in 2025. Samuel’s versatility was his greatest asset, which means this is more complex than finding another downfield receiver for Purdy to target.
Fourth-round pick Jordan Watkins brings speed to the receiving corps and should get some reps in preseason to compete for a starting spot. Running back Isaac Guerendo had 572 scrimmage yards in 2024 and should have a much bigger role in 2025 as the Niners avoid overworking McCaffrey.
Jordan James, selected in the fifth round, will get opportunities out of the backfield after finishing third in Big Ten rushing yards last season. Currently RB75 in fantasy drafts, James is a player to keep an eye on throughout preseason, particularly if McCaffrey and/or Guerendo are dealing with injuries.
Impact On Purdy
The biggest question about Samuel’s departure is how this impacts Purdy’s fantasy football credentials. Purdy was QB14 last season, but finished with the 12th-most fantasy points per game. He’s QB13 according to his ADP at Fantasy Pros, which puts him ahead of Justin Herbert, Jordan Love, and Drake Maye.
After finishing as QB6 in 2023, being drafted outside the top 12 might seem harsh on Purdy. This Niners offense still has plenty of weapons, plus Shanahan has a knack for making the most out of the talent at his disposal.
There’s a wide range of outcomes for Purdy as a fantasy asset in 2025. San Francisco is likely entering a transition phase, which could see Pearsall break out and James have a big rookie year. It could also end in Purdy being outside the top 15 quarterbacks, particularly if McCaffrey misses considerable time again.
Published: Jul 10, 2025 03:03 pm