The San Francisco 49ers are reportedly prepared to part ways with one of their star players in the coming months.
The 49ers will explore the trade market for Deebo Samuel this offseason, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Media. Though the team is not committed to moving Samuel, both sides are said to be open to the idea of a split.
Samuel is coming off a down season in San Francisco. The former All-Pro wideout had 51 catches for 670 yards and 3 touchdowns in 15 games. His rushing numbers were worse compared to past seasons, as he had just 136 yards and 1 touchdown.
Samuel signed a 3-year, $71.5 million contract extension with the Niners ahead of the 2022 season. He had 77 catches for 1,405 yards and 6 touchdowns the year before and added 365 yards and 8 touchdowns on the ground. Samuel parlayed that success into a new deal, but he has not lived up to the contract.
The 49ers lost Brandon Aiyuk to a season-ending injury in Week 7, which should have paved the way for Samuel to become the focal point of their passing offense. The 29-year-old still failed to find consistency and struggled with drops, which led to some blunt criticism from a franchise legend.
Niners general manager John Lynch had high praise for Samuel after the regular season and said the team is “not in the business of letting good players go.”
Samuel is due $17.55 million next season, which is a reasonable figure for a top wide receiver. There should be plenty of interest in him if the 49ers do decide to trade him, though a recent photo might give some teams pause.
