Goodbye, Deebo. You Will be Missed.

Honestly, I’m torn about Deebo being traded. On one hand, he’s been such a core part of the 49ers culture for so long that it feels like a gut punch. On the other hand, his diva tendencies, inconsistent fitness, and sometimes apathetic vibe have definitely pissed me the fuck off over the years.

I’m not here to shit on a Niner great - and Deebo is a Niner great - but I do want to talk about what it means overall.

Culture Setter

It’s just a fact that Deebo is a culture setter. He brings a confidence, a swagger, I mean hell, he led the team every single game with Trent Williams out of the tunnel. Deebo is a vibe - and when he’s rolling your team unbeatable. I’ll stand on that.

In my top 10 moments of the last five years, Deebo owns at least half. Torching the Rams. Torching the Seahawks. Inject that straight into my veins. Nothing feels better than when the team - and especially Deebo - are on fire.

When Deebo goes, everyone goes.

The Erosion of Deebo

Deebo got paid - and almost immediately declined. That’s just the truth. Was it because Kyle used him as a “wide-back”? A bad off-season program? Was last season a fluke? Did he get complacent?

I have no clue. But here’s what I do know:

I think the Niners are better off without him. I think getting a fifth-round pick was more than I expected. I think Jauan Jennings is more valuable right now. And I think Ricky Pearsall’s rise in the second half of the season made Deebo redundant.

I also think anyone who physically attacks a teammate on the sideline, even if the kicker sucks, has no place on this team. That’s just weak.

I can already hear the alpha bros yelling, “That’s football, soyboy! We need that passion! You don’t know sports.” Please shut up and sit down. There’s no room for that kind of behavior when the most important thing in any sport is the connection and trust between players. One bad apple really does spoil the bunch. It only takes one person to kill the vibe of a team. And it felt like Deebo was heading in that direction.

I believe he’s going to be great for Washington next year. I hope he stays healthy - they’re a fun team to watch. I hope he finds success - but he’s the kind of player who eventually wears out his welcome. We’ll see how long the honeymoon lasts.