Deebo Samuel says ‘communication’ changed contract talks with 49ers
After much of the offseason featured uncertainty around star wide receiver Deebo Samuel’s future with the San Francisco 49ers, he has finally cemented his fate.
Samuel worked out a three-year extension worth up to $73.5 million. With the Pro Bowler’s fate sealed at least through the 2025 season, he has voiced that the strong level of communication led to a new contract.
“At the end of the day, this is a business,” Samuel said via ESPN. “So, what changed was the communication. The more we communicated, the more we started figure things out.”
The 25-year-old previously aired his desire for a trade, but the 49ers never moved toward that. Instead, the team held firm in keeping Samuel as a key component of their future.
The new deal makes him one of the highest-paid wide receivers in the league. He has become the 49ers’ top offensive weapon after his breakout 2021 campaign, where he posted 77 receptions for a career-best 1,405 receiving yards and six touchdowns, along with 365 rushing yards and eight touchdowns.
The point of contention for Samuel lay with having his involvement in the running game lessened to reduce the wear and tear. Head coach Kyle Shanahan has voiced that the team will keep him involved, but will that will see him take some sort of reduction in running the ball.
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Samuel is one of the game’s most dynamic offensive weapons, and his ability as an effective runner is a piece of the game plan that the 49ers want to keep in place.
