George Kittle entered the NFL back in 2017 when the San Francisco 49ers selected him in the fifth round of the NFL draft. Two years later, the 49ers selected wide receiver Deebo Samuel in the 2019 NFL draft. For the next six seasons, Kittle and Samuel teamed up to lead a potent San Francisco offense that won a lot of football games.
This offseason, Kittle and Samuel’s time as teammates ended when San Francisco traded Samuel to the Washington Commanders. It was a mutual parting, with Samuel wanting a change of scenery and the Niners needing the salary cap space.
The trade didn’t end the friendship, though. Earlier this offseason, a video surfaced of Samuel running routes during Washington’s OTAs with an engagement account hoping to bait fans into talking about the wideout’s weight or running half speed. Kittle was having none of it.
“It’s called group install when players jog thru plays,” Kittle responded to the account. “Knock it off.”
Kittle was correct. Samuel has looked excellent this offseason and is in great shape with training camp only weeks away. Kittle recently spoke publicly about his former teammate on “Bussin With The Boys.”
“I’m happy for him that he went to Washington,” Kittle said via Nick Shook of NFL.com. “Guys need a fresh start sometimes, and he wanted a fresh start, and so, I’m very happy for him. I’m sad that I don’t have him on my team anymore because I just loved having him around the locker room and stuff like that. But I’m happy for him.”
Kittle loves Samuel and believes he landed in a good place because of another former 49er:
“I’m happy he went to Washington because Adam Peters is there, our old assistant GM, and he’s the man,” Kittle added. “And then, also, they’re pretty good at football, too.”
Samuel didn’t leave San Francisco on bad terms. He’s also happy to be in Washington. Like Kittle said, sometimes you just need a fresh start. Samuel is expected to play a significant role in the Commanders’ offense, working alongside offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury and quarterback Jayden Daniels.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: George Kittle happy for his friend Deebo Samuel’s fresh start
