Getty 49ers WR Deebo Samuel (right) hugs GM John Lynch
Someone might want to do a quick check on 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel. We are only a little more than a month removed from his team’s loss to the Chiefs in the Super Bowl and he appears to be already fed up with this offseason.
He was not exactly clear what he was talking about, but on Thursday, Samuel did post a bizarre and obviously peeved message on Twitter/X.
“Can we have a life when football season over like can we travel enjoy our self go out n have fun without you ‘fans’ saying all this unnecessary s***. Folks be buggin!!!!” Samuel wrote.
Again, it was not clear which fans said what to get under Samuel’s skin. But he did respond with a series of exclamation points after new Eagles running back Saquon Barkley posted a tweet along similar lines.
“Man I tell you what some of ya get on this app and just reach for anything,” wrote Barkley, who has taken some online backlash for ditching the Giants and signing with Philadelphia.
Finally, Samuel announced he was just punching out from social media activity until training camp convenes.
“UNO OFF HERE SEE YOU IN JULY!!!” he posted, referring to his new uniform number.
UNO OFF HERE SEE YOU IN JULY!!!
49ers Can’t Afford Both Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk?
Samuel has been a topic of conversation this offseason as the 49ers attempt to figure out what, exactly, they should do with their wide receiver situation. It’s been rumored that trading Samuel is an option.
They have two of the best players in the game at the position in Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk and obviously would like to have both returning next year.
Easier said than done, however. Samuel is in the second year of a three-year, $71.5 million contract extension and Aiyuk is entering his fifth-year option season. That is good enough to bump him up from $4 million last year to $14.1 million next year, but there is no chance Aiyuk will play under that deal—he’ll hold out for a new contract.
The 49ers simply might not be able to afford that. Spotrac projects him to warrant a contract worth $24 million per year, over four years, which works out to $96 million total.
The 49ers have big-ticket items all over the board, with Nick Bosa making a record $34 million and two other players—Trent Williams and Javon Hargrave—making more than $20 million. Fred Warner is just below at $19 million.
Rumor Mill Heating Up
Earlier this month, Washington Post NFL insider Jason La Canfora pushed the trade-Deebo notion.
“The San Francisco 49ers are working to extend wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, and if and when they do, ‘I think they’ll trade Deebo [Samuel],’ one of the GMs said,” La Canfora wrote.
It would be a tough pill to swallow. Samuel is one of Kyle Shanahan’s favorite weapons and is the one weapon who truly makes the 49ers offense unique. They don’t want to lose him. But if it comes down to Samuel or Aiyuk, the fact that Aiyuk is two years younger and a better deep-ball threat swings things in his favor.
Last season showed Samuel’s value, though. He was injured in Week 6 and missed Weeks 7 and 8, and that marked the season low point for the 49ers—three straight losses, to mediocre teams Cleveland, Minnesota and Cincinnati.
For the year, Samuel had 60 catches, 892 yards and seven touchdowns. He also rushed 37 times for 225 yards and five more touchdowns.
Aiyuk, for his part, has been mentioned in potential trade talks with the Jaguars and Steelers.
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