If you remember the last time a day passed without any big-name drama in the NFL, let us know. Hours after the 49ers‘ Jimmy Garoppolo became one of several starting quarterbacks to skip the start of offseason activities, one of Garoppolo’s top weapons of recent years — wide receiver Deebo Samuel — appears to be on even shakier ground with San Francisco. Entering the final year of his rookie contract, the All-Pro pass catcher isn’t just holding out of voluntary workouts in search of a new deal, but he’s now completely halted negotiations with the 49ers, according to ESPN.
“San Francisco wants to pay Deebo Samuel, but Deebo Samuel was the one who scrubbed the 49ers logos off his social media page,” Adam Schefter reported Tuesday. “Deebo Samuel was the one that essentially, basically made it known he wanted to move on. San Francisco would pay Deebo Samuel today, tomorrow, the next day. It’s not hard to figure out what the contract would look like. … This, I think right now, is Deebo Samuel not wanting to get a deal done … (He) is the one who has put a halt to everything for right now.”
This comes amid Samuel’s brother, Tyquan, stoking the flames of speculation in Facebook and Instagram comments, where he’s suggested Samuel will soon be requesting a trade and no longer intends to play for the 49ers. Tyquan has since walked back some of his comments, dismissing them as jokes, but Deebo himself has hinted at discontent with San Francisco. He recently took to social media to downplay threats he’s received from fans over his perceived contract situation, and was seen liking an Instagram post that referred to playing for no less than $25 million per year.
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Samuel, who broke out with over 1,700 yards from scrimmage in 2021, remains under contract with the 49ers through 2022. After the Bills‘ Stefon Diggs became the latest receiver to land a lucrative extension, however, he and other stars on soon-to-be-expiring deals emerged as logical candidates to seek their own pay raises. It’s unclear whether Samuel intends to report to voluntary offseason activities in the event he’s yet to strike a new deal with the team, and there is no indication San Francisco has made the receiver available for trade, even if the former second-round pick desires as much.
