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Deebo Samuel Faces Uncertainty After A Disappointing Season With 49ers

SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 20: Deebo Samuel #19 of the San Francisco 49ers reacts as he takes the field prior to an NFL divisional round playoff football game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Green Bay Packers at Levi's Stadium on January 20, 2024 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)

Deebo Samuel, a pivotal part of the 49ers’ offense since 2019, might have played his final game in San Francisco.

The Niners plan to explore trading him this offseason. While nothing is certain, both sides appear open to the idea of parting ways if it happens.

Samuel has long been a Pro Bowl-caliber receiver and the driving force behind the 49ers offense. When he played, he brought an electric spark. When he didn’t, the offense faced significant struggles.

However, this past season, Samuel was not among the top targets and in early December, he admitted that he was “a little frustrated for sure.”

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Those comments followed a post on X (formerly Twitter), which has since been deleted, claiming that he wasn’t struggling but simply wasn’t receiving the ball.

Kyle Shanahan, the 49ers’ head coach, told reporters on Dec. 10 that while he understood Samuel’s frustrations, he added, “We’d always love things to stay in-house.”

Samuel finished this past season with a career-low 51 catches (not counting the injury-plagued 2020 season), totaling 670 yards and three touchdowns. His 81 targets were also a career-low.

In preparation for Samuel’s potential exit, the 49ers selected Ricky Pearsall in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft and extended Brandon Aiyuk last August. Throughout a tumultuous offseason for Aiyuk, the Niners engaged in trade discussions involving Samuel, which he addressed publicly.

“Yeah, I heard it,” he said back in June. “Had a conversation with my agent about it. They were going back and forth with it, whoever it was. It was a thing at first. But going to move past it. We’re here, and we’re here to get better.”

After a tough season marked by multiple injuries and a disappointing 6-11 finish, there was much speculation about Samuel’s future with the Niners. General manager John Lynch said in early January that the intention was to bring Samuel back for the 2025 season.

The Niners are now likely to explore trades involving Samuel, who is set to earn $17.55 million next year. This is the final year of his three-year, $71.55 million contract extension signed in July 2022.