4 reasons why 49ers shouldn’t budge on Deebo Samuel trade request
By Peter Panacy
The 49ers got hit by news All-Pro wide receiver Deebo Samuel has requested a trade, yet they shouldn’t think about moving him even though he asked.
All-Pro wide receiver Deebo Samuel isn’t happy with the San Francisco 49ers.
That much is clear. And if his previous scrubbing of all things Niners on his social media wasn’t enough of an indication, the latest bombshell of a report saying Samuel had officially requested a trade from San Francisco amid contract disputes and negotiations should be.
Yeah, it’s pretty tough a situation for the 49ers right now.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Samuel’s request wasn’t necessarily about the money, rather stemming from “questions about his usage” as a “wide back” hybrid-type role that saw him net 1,770 all-purpose yards last season (third most in the NFL) but also increased his exposure to risk, injury and further wear and tear:
From NFL Now: For more than a week, the #49ers have been dealing with a major issue in their WRs room, as Deebo Samuel requested a trade. pic.twitter.com/PDuN2TsjHz
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 20, 2022
However, the Niners shouldn’t just automatically give in to Samuel’s trade request.
Here are four reasons why.
Reason No. 4: Deebo Samuel is still under contract with 49ers
San Francisco still holds a lot of leverage here. Remember, he still has one more year to play out on his rookie contract. Sure, the 49ers don’t want to entertain a massive distraction over the course of 2022, and that could happen if both they and Samuel remain at an impasse.
But the facts remain: Samuel is signed through the upcoming season.
In previous years, players could hold out well into a regular season. Under the current collective bargaining agreement, though, there are far stricter penalties (both financially and with regards to contract terms) that could easily serve as a deterrent for Samuel to skip out on training camp, preseason and regular-season games.
In short, doing so would be a terrible business decision for him.
“Show up or forfeit a lot of money” should be the Niners’ response if Samuel’s holdout continues, $40,000 per day of training camp for players still on rookie contracts.