The last time Deebo Samuel signed a contract extension came in 2022, but now he has just two seasons left on his deal, and the All-Pro wants another commitment from the San Francisco 49ers. Set to have a $28.6 million cap hit this season, Samuel has been the subject of trade rumors all offseason long as he seeks a new contract, but neither side has budged.
San Francisco doesn’t have to do anything to address Samuel’s contract this year. As mentioned, he’s under contract through 2025, but the 28-year-old likely feels he’s earned the right to have more long-term security.
But the 49ers also have other big contracts to worry about. On Tuesday, 49ers GM John Lynch gave Christian McCaffrey a two-year, $38 million extension. Brandon Aiyuk is in the last year of his contract, and Brock Purdy will need a new deal before next season’s end.
So, there’s no immediate urgency to address Samuel’s situation, which might be why San Francisco apparently legitimately considered trading their ‘wide back’ this offseason. They reportedly got so far in discussions that his agent was even beginning to negotiate a new contract with another team, according to Samuel.
“Yeah, I heard [the trade rumors]. Had a conversation with my agent about it. They was going back and forth with whoever it was. It was a thing at first, but we done moved past it. So we here, and we here to get better.”
Deebo Samuel admitting he was nearly traded by San Francisco 49ers
As Samuel said, both he and the 49ers have moved past their odd offseason, but we can’t help but wonder which team came close to acquiring the dynamic receiver.
It was previously reported that the Pittsburgh Steelers attempted to land Samuel; the same goes for the New England Patriots.
Evidently, talks broke down. It’s not known whether the disagreement came during the trade negotiation phase or whether Samuel wasn’t able to get the contract he desired from either team. Either way, he’s headed into his sixth season in a 49ers uniform and all sides seem content enough to focus on the upcoming season.
Related: See where Brock Purdy lands in Sportsnaut’s NFL QB Rankings