Deebo Samuel set to stay with the San Francisco 49ers after standoff

Though speculation was intense as to what the star wide receiver would do, he’s now back with his team despite the varying rumors and social media posts.

Deebo Samuel is back with the San Francisco 49ers

There were tweets and Instagram posts as well as direct comments from the player himself, but as things stand Deebo Samuel is once again with the 49ers following an off-season in which he requested a trade and then subsequently entered into a standoff with the franchise. After an off-season filled with speculation, trade rumors and social media posts, the receiver is now expected to be present for the team’s mandatory mini-camp on Tuesday afternoon. It should be noted that had Samuel been absent for any of the three days of the mandatory workouts, he could have been fined by the franchise somewhere between $14,775 and $88,650.

What happened between Deebo Samuel and the 49ers?

Though initially everything seemed to be going smoothly between the WR and his team, the relationship quickly deteriorated when Samuel disclosed that he was less than happy with his role as both a wide receiver and and running back. An apparent victim of his own success, the 49ers star then proceeded to removed any evidence of his ties to the 49ers from his social media accounts, which naturally drew immediate attention. It was at that point - in April - that Samuel requested a trade. Reports would later suggest that the 49ers were willing to compensate Samuel, but the record holder for most rushing touchdowns by a wide receiver in a single season - Eight - wouldn’t budge.

Needless to say the question of where he would play next was a constant in the media frenzy that followed. To name just a few there were the New York Jets, Kansas City Chiefs and Green Bay Packers to begin with. Each franchise expressed an interest in trading for the star, but none came close to finalizing a deal even when it came down to Draft night. Interestingly, fellow receivers like Davante Adams, Tyreek Hill and A.J. Brown were all traded and in turn put pen to paper on extremely lucrative contract extensions.

The 49ers didn’t want to lose Deebo Samuel

to be fair, as much as there has been speculation in all corners, the 49ers have never made any secret about the fact that they wanted to hold on to Samuel. General manager John Lynch said he would be “a fool to trade him” and that “Deebo will be a part of the 49ers this season.” Then there was head coach Kyle Shanahan who added that he felt “stronger” about Samuel staying with the team headed into off-season workout activities. There was also 49ers tight end George Kittle who said his “best guess” was that Samuel would be with the 49ers in 2022.

In all, what we can take away from the scenario is the fact that the team was committed to keeping their star and more over committed to indicating that publicly. While Samuel may be justified in his grievances, there is one thing that he can’t dispute, which is how much his team is committed to him. Though his contract remains up in the air with the star approaching the final year of his rookie contract, his decision to stick with the franchise is a clear indication that some progress has been made. With his aforementioned deal coming to an end, Samuel will make less than $4 million in base salary and another $950,000 in roster and workout bonuses. Those figures are of course small relative to the kind of numbers he’s produced on the field. The WR led the entire league with 18.2 yards per reception and his 1,845 all-purpose yards ranked third in the league overall. Expect more from this one.