The San Francisco 49ers are in the midst of their most pivotal offseason in recent memory. The Brock Purdy contract discourse has already taken on a life of its own following a report that hinted he could secure close to $60 million per year in his new deal.
It stands to reason the 49ers' Purdy conundrum will take time to sort itself out. In the meantime, a major offseason domino has fallen.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network , the 49ers have granted wide receiver Deebo Samuel permission to seek a trade following a turbulent 2024 season. Samuel reportedly expressed his desire to be traded during his end-of-season exit meeting with Kyle Shanhan in January.
This marks the second time in three years that Samuel has requested a trade out of San Francisco, but this time Shanahan and John Lynch have acquiesced to Samuel's desire.
49ers reportedly grant star WR Deebo Samuel permission to seek a trade
The #49ers are expected to explore trading star WR Deebo Samuel, sources say.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 9, 2025
In what could be a wild offseason, a parting for Samuel and SF is not guaranteed, but it may make sense for all parties.
My story: https://t.co/g5WdqHQXfvhttps://t.co/g5WdqHQXfv
It has long felt like Samuel's 49ers tenure would end in messy fashion. While a trade is not guaranteed, it seems bet for all parties if Shanahan and Lynch find a trade partner.
Samuel repeatedly complained about not getting the ball this year despite an objectively lackluster season. Even though No. 1 wideout Brandon Aiyuk missed 10 games with a torn ACL, Samuel finished with just 51 catches for 670 yards and three touchdowns in 15 games. He wasn't even impactful as a runner, tallying 136 yards and one score on 42 attempts.
Having said that, Samuel is one just season removed from accumulating over 1,100 scrimmage yards and 12 touchdowns. For whatever reason, the production wasn't there in 2024.
The 49ers should feel comfortable moving on from the former All-Pro. Aiyuk should be ready for the start of next season and Jauan Jennings stepped up as the de facto No. 1 in Aiyuk's absence, catching 77 passes for 975 yards and six scores.
We expect San Francisco to bring in another receiver this offseason, but Jennings showed more than enough last season to suggest he can fill the WR2 role.
It will be interesting to see how big of a market Samuel commands. He is 29 years old, coming off the worst season of his career and has a lot of wear and tear because he's been so dependent on creating yards after the catch in his career.
In any event, let this news serve as a reminder that it will be a chaotic offseason in San Francisco. The Samuel domino is just the beginning.