Deebo Samuel became the most unique weapon in the NFL in 2021, but it seems not everybody was pleased about it.
Reports emerged on Wednesday that Samuel has requested a trade from the San Francisco 49ers and is unlikely to be with the team when the 2022 season schedule starts on September 8.
Deebo exploded in 2021
Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan schemed WR Deebo into becoming a true superstar in 2021 as he became a nightmare for defenses coming out of the backfield as well as split wide.
The net result was 77 catches for 1405 yards plus 365 rushing yards as the former South Carolina standout became a bona fide dual threat.
You might think Samuel would be delighted he is now the most feared offensive weapon in the NFL, but apparently not. Per those reports, he is not happy at the way he is being used - and wants a trade.
From @NFLTotalAccess: The #49ers are already getting calls from teams wanting to trade for WR Deebo Samuel. A look at how we got here. pic.twitter.com/8gCyKZoWa2
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 20, 2022
So instead of agreeing to the expected long-term contract extension in San Francisco, it now appears likely he will get paid by another team. The trade - if and when it happens - will be another blockbuster in an offseason already full of them:
- Denver traded for Seattle’s superstar QB Russell Wilson
- Cleveland handed over three first-round picks for Houston QB Deshaun Watson
- Green Bay traded WR Davante Adams to Las Vegas for first and second-round picks
- Miami acquired WR Tyreek Hill from Kansas City for a boatload of draft picks
WRs getting paid
Now Deebo is likely to be next at bat, and get paid handsomely in an offseason which has seen the pay scale for NFL wide receivers explode.
Going into the offseason, the highest paid wideout was Arizona’s DeAndre Hopkins at $27.5million APY. But then Adams got $28million from the Raiders and Tyreek reset the market again with $30million from Miami.
It appears Samuel is worried his new dual role could actually impact his career. Not only do RBs get paid less, the wear and tear on their bodies traditionally shortens their careers as elite forces.
San Francisco is already receiving trade offers from other teams - no surprise there - now we wait to see if they will bite.
