Deebo Samuel has been facing an uncertain future with the San Francisco 49ers since the regular season ended, and the star wide receiver has now made his preference clear.
Samuel revealed on Sunday that he and his agent, Tory Dandy, have received permission from the 49ers to seek a trade. Samuel told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that the former All-Pro first asked for a trade in his exit meeting with head coach Kyle Shanahan after the season.
“It was a hard conversation to have with Kyle (Shanahan) because of the relationship that we have,” Samuel said. “But I have to do what’s best. I’m more than thankful for the Niners giving me the opportunity of a lifetime, but now I think it’s best that we find another team.”
Samuel is coming off a down season. The 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 recently indicated that the team did not want to trade Samuel, but that may have been before Samuel formally asked for a fresh start.
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.
