San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel has revealed the team has made attempts to trade him since its Super Bowl loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in February.
Samuel hasn’t signed a contract extension with the team since 2022 and has two seasons left on his deal. The wideout is poised to have a reported $28.6 million cap hit this season and is looking for the team to show some commitment to him amid the rife trade rumors he has been a subject of this offseason.
The Niners are under no obligation to open contract talks with the All-Pro this year as he’s under contract through 2025, but he reckons he has done enough to warrant a long-term deal.
Unfortunately, Samuel isn’t among the team’s top priorities. The 49ers just handed running back Christian McCaffrey a two-year extension to the tune of $38 million. They are also keen to wrap up talks with Brandon Aiyuk, their preferred receiver of the two, while Brock Purdy has proven he deserves to be among the highest-paid quarterbacks in the NFL.
Deebo Samuel Reveals Contract Talks
San Francisco’s lack of urgency is understandable, but it appears they were looking to trade him earlier in the season. The player disclosed this week that his agent was already in the process of discussing a contract with another team.
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“Yeah, I heard [the trade rumors]. Had a conversation with my agent about it. They was going back and forth with whoever it was,” he told reporters on Tuesday, per 49erswebzone. “It was a thing at first, but we done moved past it. So we here, and we here to get better.”
Deebo Samuel didn’t reveal the other party but there were reports of the Pittsburgh Steelers vying for his services. The New England Patriots were also reported to have an interest.
It would appear that talks fell through. Deebo Samuel either couldn’t get the contract he wanted, or the San Francisco 49ers couldn’t get the desired terms.
Either way, they are moving forward.