WR Deebo Samuel returns to the 49ers

Jul 31, 2026

With concern about the status of receiver Ricky Pearsall's injured right knee, the San Francisco 49ers are turning to a familiar face, bringing back wideout Deebo Samuel to the place where he began his career. Sources told NFL Network's Ian Rapoport on Thursday night that the 49ers and Samuel reached agreement on a one-year deal that could be worth up to $7 million.

Fantasy Impact:

With Kirk (calf) also on the sideline throughout training camp, this signing quickly quelches the flames of the Stribling buzz we've seen over the last couple of days.

If you were looking for the perfect landing spot for a Deebo Samuel bounce-back after a mediocre one-year stint with the Commanders, this is the one. With 49ers injuries at the running back position as well as the WR room, Samuel could add a handful of rushes into the mix as well. That doesn't make him a WR2 all of a sudden, but he's still an intriguing dart throw, depending on where his ADP ends up after this signing.

yesterday

Saints sign WR Chris Olave to four-year, $132M extension

Adam Schefter

yesterday · 4:56 PM EDT

Just in: Saints are signing WR Chris Olave to a four-year extension worth up to $132 million, including $90 million guaranteed, his agents Drew and Jason Rosenhaus tell ESPN.

Related Players: Jordyn Tyson, Devaughn Vele, Mason Tipton

Fantasy Impact:

Well, if the Saints aren't concerned about Olave's blood clot issue, then maybe we shouldn't be either. Olave was absent from OTAs earlier this summer, but we could take this as a sign that they're not concerned about that being a long-term issue. If he is ready ahead of Week 1, he should return fringe WR1/2 value on what is a pretty interesting offense.

Panthers WR Chris Brazzell II will undergo season-ending surgery

Adam Schefter

yesterday · 1:59 PM EDT

Panthers rookie WR Chris Brazzell will undergo season-ending surgery on his torn LCL, as @josephperson reported. Brazzell injured his knee during Wednesday’s practice.

Fantasy Impact:

We posted yesterday that Brazzell could miss "up to" 8 weeks, and, well, that initial report was clearly too optimistic. Legette now has a clear runway to lock down the WR3 role in Carolina, but that shouldn't give us enough confidence to push him into our draft boards. In addition to being obviously terrible news for Brazzell himself, this could also impact McMillan's season-long ability to line up on the inside more often, as the rookie was slated to stress the defense as a vertical X receiver had he won the WR3 job. Now it comes down to a Legette breakout to add some further legitimacy to this passing attack.

Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield says he turned down a two-year deal from Tampa Bay

Jeremy Fowler

yesterday · 12:40 PM EDT

Baker Mayfield tells ESPN the Bucs offered him a two-year deal, which was ‘probably the most disappointing’ part. Wanted long-term commitment.

Added Bucs were ‘pretty far’ from $50+M per club, which he wanted to enter.

Related Players: Jake Browning

Fantasy Impact:

It's becoming more and more likely that Mayfield hits the open market post-2026, which adds an intriguing wrinkle to his Dynasty outlook. As for this season, he's still behind a great offensive line, with a nice WR room, which makes him a viable QB2 or a great streaming option, should he go undrafted.