According to a person with knowledge of the matter, the San Francisco 49ers have granted receiver Deebo Samuel permission to pursue a trade.
The team has not released it to the public, so the individual spoke on condition of anonymity. Following Samuel’s initial request in a season-ending meeting with coach Kyle Shanahan, ESPN initially reported that he and his agent were authorized to investigate a potential trade.
Because of our relationship, having a chat with Kyle was difficult, Samuel told ESPN. However, I must do my best. Although I’m grateful that the Niners gave me this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, I believe it would be best if we found another team.
Samuel signed a three-year, $71.6 million agreement the following offseason, which continues through the 2025 season, although his output has decreased since he had an All-Pro season in 2021 with 1,770 yards from scrimmage and 14 touchdowns.
Despite battling ailments throughout the previous season, Samuel averaged just 3.2 yards on his 42 rushes and had 51 catches for 670 yards and three touchdowns. Since the historic 2021 season, Samuel has not received 900 yards in a season.
Last summer, San Francisco considered offers for Samuel but didn’t have any that were good enough to deal. Following the season, general manager John Lynch stated that the Niners had no intention of trading Samuel.
Even without Samuel, the 49ers have depth at receiver. Last July, Brandon Aiyuk agreed to a four-year, $120 million contract deal that would start in 2025. Despite undergoing extensive knee surgery, Aiyuk should be ready for the season to begin. Jauan Jennings, who set career highs with 77 catches for 975 yards in 2024, is about to enter the last season of a two-year, $15.4 million contract. After being selected in the first round of last year’s draft, Ricky Pearsall showed potential late in the season and is anticipated to have a greater impact in 2025.
On March 22, Samuel will receive a $15.4 million option bonus. In 2025, Samuel will also receive a base salary of $1.17 million. With a transaction predicated on bonuses already paid that haven’t yet reached the threshold, San Francisco would incur a dead-cap charge of $31.6 million.
— AP Pro Football Writer Josh Dubow
— Rob Maaddi, writer for AP Pro Football, helped with this report.