It has been nearly three weeks since Deebo Samuel unfollowed the 49ers on Instagram and changed his profile picture of being in a San Francisco uniform to a blank space. While Samuel’s behavior stems from him not being happy with discussions involving his contract extension, the Pro Bowl receiver is reportedly the one holding up contract talks.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on NFL Live that San Francisco wants to pay Samuel, but it was the wide receiver who “scrubbed the 49ers logos from his social media page” and made it known he wanted to move on.
“San Francisco would pay Deebo Samuel today, tomorrow, the next day. It’s not hard to figure out what the contract would look like, we’ve seen some of the top numbers in the league,” Schefter said. “This, I think right now, is Deebo Samuel not wanting to get a deal done … The 49ers are ready. Deebo Samuel is the one who has put a halt to everything for right now.”
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49ers fans have been reacting to the situation, and the star wide receiver took the time on Friday to address their questions as well as the racist messages and death threats he has been receiving.
“Y’all were the same ones ‘hoorah-ing’ and ‘go Deebo-ing’ and now y’all wanna send death threats and racial stuff … it don’t bother me …,” Samuel said, in part, on Instagram live.
Samuel, who earned a first-team All-Pro selection for his performance in the 2021 season, is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent in ’23. Last season, he tallied 77 receptions for 1,405 yards and six touchdowns, all the while rushing for 365 yards and eight more scores on the ground.
Several NFL wide receivers have received massive paydays this offseason. Tyreek Hill was traded from the Chiefs to the Dolphins in a blockbuster deal reportedly worth $120 million, with $72.2 guaranteed over the next four years. Former Packer star Davante Adams was traded to the Raiders on a five-year deal worth $141.25 million, and Buffalo’s Stefon Diggs signed a four-year extension worth $104 million with $70 million guaranteed.
With Samuel’s high-value production from last season, he could be in the ballpark for a record-breaking deal as well.
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