When San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel requested a trade from the team in April, many believed it could happen during the NFL draft. But the last Thursday in April came and went, and the Niners’ most unique and valuable offensive weapon is still a member of the garnet and gold, and the 49ers are adamant that he will remain with the team through at least the 2022 season.
That still hasn’t stopped Pro Football Hall of Famer Steve Young from commenting on the ordeal. In an appearance on the “Rich Eisen Show,” the two-time NFL MVP and Super Bowl XXIX MVP offered his championship insight on the matter.
“Deebo did himself a bit of a disservice with the whispers around how he felt about this whole situation. I just think that Deebo … if you don’t want to be here, say it, why, what you’re doing or not,” said Young.
When Samuel made the request, it was said that it wasn’t all about money, but also how he was being used. His lining up in the backfield often and playing sort of a hybrid position, dubbed the “wide back” also grew legs. Samuel wants to be paid like a two-position player and compensated for his uniqueness. Especially if he’s going to have to bail out an inexperienced QB all season.
"The word 'ready' is just loaded, it's not right… he's played two games."
Asked @49ers great @SteveYoungQB about if @treylance03 is ready to be The Guy in 2022 and the latest on what he knows about Deebo Samuel:#NFL #FTTB@19problemz pic.twitter.com/E6PBDsFJua
— Rich Eisen Show (@RichEisenShow) May 17, 2022
Samuel Is Vital For Niners QB Trey Lance
The Niners are looking to integrate 2021 No. 3 overall pick Trey Lance into the starting QB position and having Deebo is the ultimate security blanket for the talented but unproven Lance.
Young knows how important weapons are for a QB, having had legendary offensive talent such as wide receiver Jerry Rice, running back Ricky Watters and tight end Brent Jones in tow already when he replaced the legendary Joe Montana. Young believes the Niners have to work out a deal with the multi-talented Samuel and move forward before their Super Bowl window closes.
“I can’t think of a more valuable player in the league if you had to choose somebody to come play for the 49ers,” Young said. “I think the No. 1 most valuable player you could choose is Deebo, if he’s focused and in shape. … If Deebo is not focused and not in shape, then that’s another story. But to me, getting Deebo in shape and focused on the 49ers with Trey Lance is vital, to say the least.”
Contract Extension Talks Could Begin At Training Camp In July
The 49ers are notoriously slow with signing players to extensions and inflexible with negotiating mid-contract. The organization has set times for engaging in any contract matters. Keeping Samuel is a huge part of the development of Lance going forward.
GM John Lynch sounded like someone who values Samuel and would be willing to up the ante to keep his main offensive weapon happy. In an early May radio interview, the team’s top decision-maker had this to say.
“It’s a yes for me, and that’s our job. He’s too good of a player. We’ve got too good of a thing going, and we want to keep that going. That’s where I’ll leave that.”
Samuel will be looking to get the bag after seeing some of the paydays shelled out across the league this offseason. His agent will be focusing on one deal in particular. When the Jacksonville Jaguars gave former Cardinals wideout Christian Kirk a four-year, $72 million deal without ever posting a 1000-yard season, that deal “effed up the game.”
Now the Niners know they have to pay Samuel, a guy who accounted for 1,770 yards from scrimmage (1,405 receiving and 365 rushing) including an NFL-record eight rushing touchdowns. The most ever for a wide receiver.
Championship teams make sacrifices to win, and Steve Young knows it’s better for the 49ers and Samuel to get on the same page, especially as they try to speed up the development of Trey Lance.
