With plenty of cap space to spend and various potential needs after the 2026 NFL Draft, the LA Chargers will naturally be a team to watch in the free-agent market. It won't be anything close to the initial free-agency surge from March, but there are quite a few moves the Chargers could theoretically make.
One of those moves is at wide receiver, where a Keenan Allen reunion seems like the most likely outcome. However, that's not locked in stone, and the Chargers could theoretically target a different veteran wideout with ties to offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel.
That points the arrow directly at Deebo Samuel, who had the best years of his career in San Francisco when McDaniel was Kyle Shanahan's offensive coordinator. Matt Okada of NFL.com is already connecting the dots between the Chargers and Samuel, naming the Bolts as the best fit for the veteran wideout.
"Samuel would be a versatile offensive weapon for Justin Herbert and Co. The Chargers have the third-most cap space in the league ($45.8 million, per Over The Cap), so they could absolutely afford him," Okada writes.
"And best of all: The most productive season of Samuel’s career, by far, came with the 49ers in 2021. He logged career highs in receptions (77), receiving yards (1,405) and yards per catch (18.2), plus a game-breaking 365 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns. The offensive coordinator in San Fran that season? Mike McDaniel ... under the tutelage of Kyle Shanahan, of course. McDaniel’s now the man in L.A. This reunion could be electric -- pun intended -- for both Samuel and the Bolts."
Deebo Samuel to the Chargers sounds great, but isn't
Yes, on paper it might make sense to bring Samuel into Los Angeles. He has familiarity in McDaniel's scheme and has had a lot of success in the past. Paying for past production in the present is a dangerous game, though, and that's what the Chargers would be doing with Samuel.
As talented as Samuel has been, that 2021 breakout season is looking more like the outlier of his career than anything else. He's surpassed 800 receiving yards just once since. He has never surpasses 900 receiving yards. The rushing impact is essentially gone with only 17 carries for 75 yards last season.
Samuel isn't going to suddenly regain his form on the wrong side of 30. He would be an overqualified gadget player who would add some value to the Chargers, but it would have to be worth the opportunity cost. Based on his trendline, it probably wouldn't be.
If the Chargers are going to sign an older wide receiver, it should be Keenan Allen. Sure, Allen doesn't have the theoretical versatility that Samuel has, nor the experience with McDaniel, but he does have a relationship built with Justin Herbert. As we saw so many times last season, that relationship came through in big spots when Herbert just needed to find a guy open down the field.
Allen is familiar. He is comfortable. He will probably cost less because he has no leverage when he only wants to play for the Chargers. We already know he will complement this wide receiver room nicely. Herbert trusts him. Jim Harbaugh trusts him. McDaniel will learn to trust him.
Samuel as a consolation prize wouldn't be the worst thing in the world, especially because the Chargers still need to add wide receiver help. But he wouldn't be the best option, and shouldn't be anything more than a fallback plan.
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