Deebo Samuel Sr. has not had his best seasons over the last three years. In 2021, Samuel had 1,405 receiving yards and 365 rushing yards, but in 2024, he failed to reach 1,000 total yards. The emergence of Brandon Aiyuk as the No. 1 pass-catching option for the San Francisco 49ers has affected the production of Samuel.
Samuel was granted permission to seek a trade out of San Francisco. He will be looking for a landing spot where he can best reach that peak form he showed in 2021 when he was a first-team All-Pro receiver.
Deebo Samuel Sr. Reveals His Team of Interest
Samuel praised the Denver Broncos as a team that is building something special. In an interview with Bleacher Report, he was asked if there were any teams in the league that people should keep their eyes on.
“Yeah, I could say Denver,” Samuel said.
Deebo Samuel likes the idea of playing for the Denver #Broncos 👀
🎥: #FTTB @brgridiron pic.twitter.com/OReNpvaHd3
— 49ers & NFL News 24/7 (@49ersSportsTalk) February 10, 2025
After his trade request, Denver could be a team to watch to go out and acquire a receiver like Samuel to pair next to Courtland Sutton in an up-and-coming offense. Samuel spoke highly of how Bo Nix played last season.
Nix led the Broncos back to the playoffs after eight straight years without an appearance. He also ranked 18th in PFSN’s QB+ metric, posting a grade of 74.8. Samuel’s intrigue in how well Nix is playing could put the Broncos at the forefront of trade rumors for his services.
“I just think you need a couple more pieces,” Samuel said, looking at how the Broncos can reach the level to compete at the top of the AFC.
Maybe one of those pieces will be Samuel. Whether he intended to drop a hint to the Broncos that he would be interested in playing for them, it seems like Samuel would fit right into the vision he sees for the Broncos.
Denver traded away Jerry Jeudy, their second-most productive receiver, before the season to the Cleveland Browns. Jeudy’s absence left a hole in that second WR slot where no one truly stepped up to replace him. Samuel would have been an improvement for Denver’s receiver room outside of Sutton. There is a lane for Samuel to come to Denver and be able to carve out a significant role quickly.
While Samuel was intrigued by Nix and the offense, he brought up how well the defense played this season.
“Your defense is outrageous,” Samuel said.
This Broncos defense put together a fantastic season ranking best in the league on PFSN’s Defense+ metric. He did not hide his admiration for Defensive Player of the Year Pat Surtain II in particular. He called Surtain the best cornerback in the league and it has probably been that way over the past two seasons.
Samuel likes what the Broncos are building. Only time will tell if Samuel ends up in a Broncos uniform next season next to their budding rookie QB in Nix and their “outrageous” defense. For now, though, Samuel will have to just appreciate the Broncos from a distance as he awaits his move away from the 49ers.