Deebo Samuel, in the midst of the first offseason where he’s eligible for an extension, scrubbed his Instagram of virtually anything 49ers related. His profile photo, which used to feature him in a 49ers uniform is now blank, and there are no photos of him in a 49ers uniform save for the graphic honoring him as a First-Team All-Pro. The social media maneuvers aren’t reason to believe he’ll be traded or anything, but it’s worth noting.
Samuel is due to cash in after a monster 2021 campaign where he caught 77 passes for 1,405 yards and six touchdowns, and ran for 365 yards and eight touchdowns on 59 carries en route to his first All-Pro nod. His contract negotiation was never going to be easy for a couple reasons.
First, Samuel’s positional value is impossible to determine because of his dual contributions as a wide receiver and running back. Paying him based on his value as a pass catcher takes his eight rushing scores off the table. Paying him as a runner takes his 1,400 receiving yards off the table. He should probably be paid among the top receivers in the league, and it stands to reason he’d want a little more sprinkled on because of his rushing ability.
