Deebo Samuel sure seems pissed at 49ers after social media actions

Having removed 49ers references on his social media, Deebo Samuel certainly seems to be at odds with his employer amid what are likely contract talks.

Overreacting on and to social media posts is stupid. And yet we’ve all done it.

Perhaps after a nasty breakup, the first thing you did was to vent about your ex, then go through all the photos of you together and promptly delete them. Changing a relationship status is also the first thing to happen.

Yes, you know what we mean here.

At any rate, it sure appears as if All-Pro wide receiver Deebo Samuel and the San Francisco 49ers are going through a bit of a fight right now. If you haven’t noticed, Samuel has stopped following the Niners on his Instagram page, and he’s also gone through and removed the overwhelming bulk of 49ers-related content on there. His profile pic, once of him in a San Francisco uniform, is currently blacked out.

And while no one should read into one of his more recent Twitter posts, it’ll nevertheless get people thinking:

Hmm…

Those thoughts have already permeated over into the national media, as The Pat McAfee Show discussed at length what it could possibly mean, this apparent feud between the 49ers and their top wide receiver and offensive playmaker from last season:

As Pat McAfee pointed out, this isn’t unprecedented. Wide receiver Julio Jones went through something similar with the Atlanta Falcons before his trade to the Tennessee Titans a year ago, and most recently, Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray appeared to have his own feud with his team, too, centered around social media.

Samuel’s situation seems to be more of the latter. But what’s causing it?

Why is Deebo Samuel scrubbing 49ers off his social media?

Well, you’d probably have to ask Samuel himself for clarification. And let’s state the obvious: It’s his social media, and he can do whatever he wants with it.

Just like you could feasibly keep pictures of your ex on your accounts even if your new significant other objects. Maybe not a great idea, but it’s your choice.

Also, there’s the possibility (albeit unlikely) Samuel clearing all Niners stuff off his social media has nothing major to do with football-related situations. Social media cleansing isn’t exactly anything new here.

However, there’s probably a massive reason why Samuel is acting this way.

Is Deebo Samuel upset at contract-extension talks with 49ers?

Samuel, whose 1,770 all-purpose yards last season earned him his first-ever All-Pro and Pro Bowl selections, is entering the final year of his rookie contract signed when he broke into the league as a second-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.

He’s now eligible to engage in extension talks with San Francisco, and the 49ers have already reportedly been interested in negotiating such a deal.

However, those reports preceded massive new contracts dished out to wide receivers Davante Adams, Tyreek Hill and now Stefon Diggs, the prior two after being traded to the Las Vegas Raiders and Miami Dolphins, respectively. Now looking at a likelihood of commanding well north of $20 million annually, Samuel’s price tag just shot way up.

Great news for him, potentially. A bigger challenge for the Niners.

Related Story: How much will it cost 49ers to extend Deebo Samuel?

San Francisco hasn’t been shy about paying its top players. Tight end George Kittle had a record-setting extension for his position, while linebacker Fred Warner also broke the bank a year ago, too.

It’s worth pointing out, though, the 49ers have traditionally finalized these extensions during training camp, not squarely in the middle of the offseason.

Perhaps Samuel just has to be patient. Based on his social media activity, he isn’t.