THANK YOU, SAN FRANCISCO

One day, back in January, I walked into Kyle’s office and said, “Bro, I don’t think you actually know how hard it is for me to come in here and have this conversation with you.”

The relationship that me and Kyle got is ridiculous. You can ask anybody in the building. One minute, he wanna knock my head off, and the next he’s just going crazy, excited at something I’m doing. I’ve always felt like he coaches me harder than anybody else because at the end of the day, he knows I ain’t no sensitive-ass player. If you tell me I messed up, I take it on the chin and go fix it instantly. But our relationship is more than just “The Coach” and “The Player.” Kyle knows damn near everything that I’ve been through in my life, and I damn near know everything he done been through. It’s like that. It’s a bond you could never break. So, we talked it out. It was hard, in its own way. But more than anything, I was just proud of the way we both handled it, as men.

It’s funny, a few days ago, when the trade happened, I was happy because this is something that I wanted. But as the day went on, my mind just kept fading off to all these damn memories, man. The memories that I got with Kyle, with John, with Brock, with Trent, it all came rushing back. And I’m like, Damn. I’m not even kidding when I say the whole “fairytale” played back in my mind.… That’s the only way I can describe it. I’ve come a long way from Spartanburg, South Carolina. Young kids in the neighborhood running under the street lights, all of us with the same dream…. One day, I’mma be in the NFL. I’mma be the one to really do it. I remember riding home from Pop Warner practice one day, at Park Hills Elementary School, and my Uncle Junior was like, “Bro, I’m telling you, you going to make it to the league.” Yeah, I hope so. I was like seven years old.

Fast forward to University of South Carolina. I won’t lie, my college experience wasn’t the best. Dealing with a broken ankle, broken foot, two hamstrings.… It was a rollercoaster. And those dreams, those fairytales were drifting away. I used to call my stepmom like, “Ma, am I still going to be able to do this?” And she’d say, “Just keep going.” God blessed me with the opportunity to come back my last year of college and play a full healthy season. And I played pretty well. We got a Senior Bowl invite. This is where it gets kinda crazy, to me. And this is one of the main reasons that me, John, and Kyle, have been as close as we are, because they were the coaches for the South Team at the Senior Bowl. And they told me after the game, “Hey man, I feel like you were one of the best players out here, and if we get the opportunity, we’re going to get you.”

Fast forward to draft night, and my agent hit me up. He said, “You about to get a call.” 

I still go back to that moment all the time. I was at a loss for words. There were tears in my eyes. I was just like, Yo…. 

I’d tell you what happened next but….

Well, you know how fairytales go.

Everything after that was just like one big blur, you know what I’m saying? Like, Alright, I’m signing my contract. Holy shit. What in the world? Two weeks later, you gotta find somewhere to stay. And I’m from the other coast. So being out in Cali was different. Actually, wanna know something funny?

During mandatory rookie mini camp, I remember I went to Target to get a couple things, hit the checkout line, cool. All of a sudden, the cashier asked me, “Do you want a bag?” Bruh, I know this normal to some of y’all, but never where I’m from have I ever been asked if I want my groceries in a bag. I’m like, “Yeah, I want a bag. What do you mean?” He’s like, “Ten cents.” I’m like, “Cool, let’s bag them all up.” I was like, They charging me for a dang grocery bag. I remember leaving the gas station and calling up my stepmom. I was like, “Buddy just asked me do I want a bag.” And Mom was like, “What you talking about?” I was like, “Yeah, they said it was 10 cents!” And she just busted out laughing, too. It was just so funny at the time. One of the first things that had me like, What am I getting into? 

Man, the journey is crazy.

My first year in the league, I went to the Super Bowl. It felt like I was at Disney World or something. I was just like, Bro, this is not real. We went through all the media and meetings. We had a mini parade, and I’m thinking, Bro, what is going on? It’s like I was still dreaming. And as we boarded the plane, they had the cheerleaders, the band, everything, at the airport. I’m like, Yo, this is crazy. I’m really in the Super Bowl.

And even crazier that I was freaking three minutes away from winning one.

Being a rookie and making a Super Bowl, you’re kind of like, “We gonna be in the Super Bowl every year — this is what it is.” Then in 2020, COVID hit, and we didn’t even make the playoffs. Our whole team was hurt at the time. It was all over the place. 

Kendrick Bourne, he plays for the Patriots now, but that was big bro. He helped me adjust to being in the league in the early days. When I first met him, they were like, “Yo, beware of KB.” Joking about how high energy he is, kind of a really happy guy. And meeting him, he was exactly the person that they said he was, in a good way. Bro was one of the coolest people I ever met. We used to go eat, go out, just do everything together. That was my guy. I spent an off-season with him when he lived in Portland, and just watched the way he worked and, man, I can see why dude’s still going to this day.

See, in college you got coaches down your back, and workouts are mandatory. If you don’t work out, you’re in trouble. But in the NFL, you’re an adult, either you gon do it or you not, you know what I’m saying? And I remember having this conversation with Wes Welker. My first off-season he was like,“Bro, I’m telling you, your third season is gonna be crazy.”

And he was right.

I remember my first game in 2021, I went for almost 200. And I was like, Oh, shit, this might be THE season. I mean, I just felt like everything was going my way. I feel like every pass I caught was at least like 20, 25 yards. And then I sprung a long like 79-yarder and it took me over the hump. And I just kept growing from there.

In 2024, I was like, Bro, we back in the Super Bowl. This is crazy. That’s why I say I’m one of the most spoiled players that probably ever been a part of the game. Our draft class to San Francisco — me, Bosa, Greenlaw, all of us. All we know is like NFC Championship, Super Bowl, NFC Championship, Super Bowl. But my biggest regret is that we never finished the damn job. The second one actually hurt more because I’ve been in the game long enough. And at that point, you know you’re going to lose some players, key players at that. But in that moment, not only am I thinking about myself, I thought about the other players who were almost at the end of their career. Trent Williams, one of my best friends, like a big brother to me and mentor, I wanted it so bad for him. I was ready to put it all on the line to help him get his ring. I wanted that for all of us. 

I was just like, Bro, we gotta win. This is the year that we have to do it. 

And we fell short.

Still, man ...... a lot of damn good memories. 

I’m not gonna lie. A lot of people think it’s easy. I promise you nothing about this is easy. That organization is top-tier world-class from John York, Jed York, fucking John Lynch, Paraag, my receiver coach, Hank, especially Kyle … I’m a firm believer in loyalty and being a man of your word. And that’s one thing he showed me from the jump. At the end of the day, these guys put their trust in me to help turn their organization around, and I’ll forever be grateful for that. And thank God I was able to come in and make a difference.

When the trade happened, and my mind was flipping through all the memories like a scrapbook or something, I just kept reflecting on how our guys put in so much work together. Our locker room gave college vibes, you know what I mean? It wasn’t like your typical locker room. Everybody’s so close, everybody hangs out. I think about how close I got with Aiyuk when he first came in as a rookie, back when he wasn’t talking to nobody lol. I knew J.J. a little bit from college. And then younger guys like Ricky and Jacob that I built relationships with, who are close as hell to me to this day. It’s not as easy as people think.

After I talked with Kyle, I talked to John, and he understood where I was coming from and gave me his perspective on everything. He called me and gave me permission to seek a trade, and we talked about why we thought it was a good move for both of us. And listen, for John and Kyle to send me to a team in the NFC that was almost a Super Bowl contender, it just shows you the type of love and relationship that we have. I know at the end of the day, they didn’t have to do that. So, it’s not a lick of bad blood when it comes to me and that organization. It’s always love.

We off to a new start now.

D.C., we coming.

I think this is one of the best possible fits for me, where I can go in and help a team. Honestly, when my agent asked me where I wanted to go, this was one of the teams at the top of my list. I started watching Jayden because of Aiyuk, that’s like his best friend. We used to chill, watch LSU games, and I knew he was going to be a stud. I’ve got some connections already with the coaching staff. Definitely ready to work with Terry for sure, because we came in the league at the same time. I’ve heard how hard he grinds. I’m just ready to match the energy and get to it. Shit…. I got a feeling this season is about to be one of them ones.

It’ll never not be bittersweet though. That’s why I just wanted to take a minute before I start this new journey, to write something from the heart, you feel me. I just want to thank everyone from the top of the 49ers organization on down. I’m damn sure going to miss the players that I built real bonds with. The coaching staff, cooks, Corry, Peter and the whole media squad, equipment managers. Yo, shoutout to Memo, for holding me down all these years!!!! Man, that’s my dog. Anything I need done … if I forgot something at the stadium, he’d bring it to my crib. Like that is my guy. Everybody in there knows that. Everybody gets it. The head man, Jaybird, one of the coolest guys in the building, comes in and hoops with the guys in the locker room. Rob, Gilby, like man, that whole equipment staff is amazing. Thank y’all for everything.

And last, but not least, thank you to the fans. Thank you for showing up to our games, showing up to my kids’ camps. When I was just a young’un with a dream, I used to picture thousands of fans packing out the building, cheering for me as I racked up TD’s. Y’all made that real. You made a kid from Spartanburg, South Carolina’s dreams come true.

Alright, time to get back to work.

—Deebo