The Deebo Samuel contract situation between the wide receiver and his San Francisco 49ers has become a major talking point during this otherwise slow time on the NFL calendar.
Coming off a breakout 2021 season, Samuel is in line for a massive extension. That’s only been magnified by huge contracts fellow wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Davante Adams have signed recently.
For his part, Samuel just recently scrubbed an mention of the 49ers from his social media accounts — leading to speculation that things are not going great when it comes to contract talks.
Speaking of social media, Samuel was mentioned in a photo of himself and former NFL player agent Ricardo Young on Instagram. Said post was captioned “If it ain’t 25M a year, we don’t want it.” For his part, Samuel did respond to the post. It’s a clear indication that he’s looking at $25-plus million annually on a new deal.
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Deebo Samuel contract talks and the San Francisco 49ers
“We’ve had good communication with Tory [Dandy] who represents Deebo and Bryan Ayrault who represents Nick. We have a plan for each of those guys. We will keep those discussions private but like I’ve long said, those guys are going to be a part of us for a long, long time.
They’re fantastic players. They are very much at the core of who we are and they are fabulous players, fabulous people and a big part of who we are.”
49ers GM John Lynch on Deebo Samuel contract talks, via NBC Sports
These comments were made late in March before Samuel’s recent social media activity. While there’s whispers that a contract stalemate could lead to a blockbuster trade after both Adams and Hill were moved, the 49ers are pushing back against this in a big way.
Recent history when it comes to San Francisco’s front office suggests that a new deal could potentially be worked out closer to training camp this summer.
All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner signed his massive five-year, $95.23 million extension with San Francisco back in July of 2021. Fellow All-Pro, tight end George Kittle, netted his record $75 million extension with San Francisco in August of 2020.
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What a Deebo Samuel contract extension might look like?
The $25 million figure mentioned in Young’s Instagram post would likely be a mere starting-off point. As noted above, both Adams and Hill reset the wide receiver market following their blockbuster trades earlier in the spring.
- Davante Adams contract: 5 years, $140 million; $28 million annually, $65.7 million in guarantees
- Tyreek Hill contract: 4 years, $120 million; $30 million annually, $72.2 million in guarantees
Hill’s contract is misleading in that it added a $50.1 million cap hit for the 2026 season — one that Miami can get out of with a mere $5.1 million dead cap hit.
Short of Samuel looking to “top the market” by signing a similar deal, he’s not going to get $30 million annually.
- Deebo Samuel stats (2021): 77 receptions, 1,405 receiving yards, 64% catch rate, 365 rushing yards, 14 total TD
From a broader perspective, Samuel performed better than both Hill and Adams a season ago. He’s just 26 years old and has yet to hit his prime.
For San Francisco, the idea would be to lock him up on a five-year deal moving forward this offseason. Said contract would come close to the $28 million Adams is earning annually on his contract with the Las Vegas Raiders.
- Projected Deebo Samuel contract extension: 5 years, $135 million; $27 million annually with $70 million in guarantees