Deebo Samuel’s agent reveals the story behind 49ers contract talks

While there are still unknowns regarding Deebo Samuel and his contract talks with the 49ers this offseason, agent Tory Dandy helped shed some light on the subject.

It sure seems as if the San Francisco 49ers and All-Pro wide receiver Deebo Samuel have come a long way since the tense standoff that existed earlier this offseason and in the wake of his shocking trade request not long before the 2022 NFL Draft.

That led to all kinds of speculation about Samuel’s future, yet some of the concerns were put to rest when the Niners opted not to trade him during the draft, meaning there was still a window in which the front office could continue negotiations with the offensive star and his agent, Tory Dandy.

Of course, the deal eventually was finalized: a three-year extension worth up to $71.55 million and with $41 million guaranteed, according to Over the Cap.

It all seems so inevitable now, but there are still plenty of unanswered questions as to how bad the situation between Samuel and San Francisco got, as well as what led up to the turnaround that ultimately saw a repaired relationship.

Dandy was able to clarify some of those questions by speaking exclusively with Bally Sports’ Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson.

Tory Dandy ultimately says Deebo Samuel is happy with 49ers deal

At one point during those offseason negotiations, rumors surfaced that Samuel wouldn’t sign an extension no matter what despite ongoing talks.

However, the 49ers made it clear they weren’t going to trade the All-Pro regardless of where things stood, something Dandy pointed out to Robinson:

"He had the trade situation, which that was that, and then you had to go through the draft process when the 49ers were adamant that they weren’t going to trade him; I let that be known to him as well, and then of course he did go and show up to minicamp — he didn’t participate but he did show up in good faith as well.So, there was a lot of communication, there were a lot of days, a lot of calls. Sometimes no calls. But ultimately, at the end of the day, he did secure his bag. And the 49ers are happy, he’s happy so it ended up well."

The Niners have had a history of extending star players just at the beginning of training camp. In 2020, tight end George Kittle received his extension days into camp, whereas linebacker Fred Warner got his just prior to training camp in 2021.

Samuel’s extension went official right before San Francisco donned pads for Week 2 of training camp, further continuing that trend.

Read More: Deebo Samuel, 49ers agree to long-anticipated contract extension

Deebo Samuel was never upset with how 49ers were using him

A major reason why Samuel is such a unique player is his dual-threat capability, one which the 49ers featured regularly in 2021 and what helped him net 1,770 all-purpose yards, third most in the entire league over the course of the year.

A whopping 365 of those yards came on the ground, and one could argue Samuel carried the offense on the ground (quite literally) during the Niners’ playoff run up to the 2022 NFC Championship game.

Amid the contract standoff, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport suggested a prime reason why Samuel wanted a trade from San Francisco was because of his usage, citing the likelihood of not wanting to subject his body to the extra rigors of being a running back-type of player.

Dandy not only said to Robinson that Samuel is preparing himself for the same kind of “wide back” role as was seen last year, but his comments suggest the receiver was preparing himself, physically, for that kind of usage all offseason with his training regimen:

"Well, he did a lot of training. I want to say he was down in Austin, Texas, training. And also he was in Florida training, then he actually went out to San Francisco and did some training as well. So, he’s been focusing on his body and leaning up some, continuing to be explosive and also his strength because he’s going to tote the rock some.So they’re still going to use him the same — interchange him out with the wideout and/or if they need him with special plays at running back or any of the special plays doing kickoff return. He’s ready for all that so he wanted this all-around to have his body ready."

Shortly after signing his extension, Samuel echoed the same sentiments about not being upset with how the 49ers used him last year:

"Like I said, I’m a team-first player. I remember Kyle coming to me and was like, “yo, Deebo you mind running the ball a little bit this week?” I was like, “you know me, at the end of the day, its whatever it takes.” I’m pretty good with the ball in my hands and he figured out ways to do it. And we just excelled and then week-by-week it just got better."

Whatever the unanswered questions may be, there’s one thing that’s absolutely clear: Both Samuel and the Niners are happy this is in the rearview mirror.