The speculation carousel continues to spin when it comes to the San Francisco 49ers and wideout Deebo Samuel.
Samuel, who is set to enter the final year of his rookie contract, has made it known he wants a new deal while scrubbing his social media to be free of 49ers-related material. Reports have surfaced that he is seeking around $25 million per season and is willing to sit out of offseason activities in order to get it done. Those rumors, it seemed, hinted the organization was holding back from giving the 2021 first-team All-Pro what he wanted.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter, however, reported that notion is far from the case.
“San Francisco would pay Deebo Samuel today, tomorrow, the next day,” Schefter said on “NFL Live” on Tuesday. “It’s not hard to figure out what the contract would look like. We’ve seen some of the top numbers in the league. This, I think right now, is Deebo Samuel not wanting to get a deal done. It’s not San Francisco not willing to do the deal. The 49ers are ready. Deebo Samuel is the one that has put a halt to everything for right now.”
So, perhaps it’s Samuel who doesn’t want to remain in San Francisco?
The current timing of everything gets tricky for the organization. While Schefter’s report indicates the team does not want to trade the dual-threat playmaker, should Samuel want out, the 49ers likely would prefer to get that accomplished before next week’s 2022 NFL Draft considering the draft capital that likely would be received in a potential deal. The NFL draft kicks off April 28.
Samuel is just one of a handful of receivers entering their fourth NFL season — A.J. Brown, D.K. Metcalf, Terry McLaurin — seeking a new contract. The Tennessee Titans, Seattle Seahawks, Washington Commanders, along with the 49ers, reportedly have denied trade requests for the time being.
Time will tell if that continues to be the case.
