Two days after Deebo Samuel secured his three-year, $73.5 million contract extension, the 49ers wide receiver denied claims that his request for a trade from the franchise in April was based on how San Francisco used him as a running back and wide receiver in the offense.
Samuels told reporters on Tuesday that the claim involving him not liking his previous role in the 49ers’ offense was “false” and that there were a lot of things he was not allowed to discuss.
“I mean, you can turn on the tape, go back to the Cowboys game,” Samuel said per 95.7 The Game. “It kind of shows what kind of player I am. … I mean, you can go turn on the Pro Bowl tape and like, what I said about being a wide back, I don’t mind doing whatever it takes for this team to win.”
Samuel’s comments on Tuesday come after NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported in April that money was not root of the receiver’s trade request but that he did not like how he was utilized in San Francisco’s offense. Even more, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reporting aligned with Rapoport’s, saying that the first team All-Pro wanted to be a “receiver and not a receiver/running back” on the The Rich Eisen Show.
While it was true that Samuel wanted to be traded before signing the massive deal, the only person who knew the full reason why was Hall of Famer Michael Irvin, who revealed on 95.7 The Game’s Damon & Ratto show that Samuel confided in him about his request.
“This is not a game. He really wanted to be moved,” Irvin said. “I had conversations with him, and I knew the [details] on why that came about. He shared that with me, and I won’t violate and share that. But when he did share it, I felt it when he explained it to me. I felt it. So he wanted to be moved.”
But with his new contract, Samuel is ready to turn the page and focus on the ’22 season. In the 2021 campaign, Samuel caught 77 passes for 1,405 yards and a total of 14 touchdowns. He also rushed for 365 yards on 59 carries.
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