The saga between All-Pro receiver Deebo Samuel and the San Fransisco 49ers has finally come to a close. The Niners and Samuel came together on a deal that will keep him in the Bay and pay him a hefty salary as well.
Samuel signed a three-year, $71.55 million extension which included $58.1 million guaranteed. The contract has the potential to reach up to $73.5 million with incentives. The 26-year-old is coming off one of the more productive seasons in the NFL. In 2022, he caught 77 passes for 1402 yards and led the NFL in yards per catch with 18.2. Samuel gained recognition for his ability to be used as a runner and a patch caster as eight of his 14 total touchdowns came on the ground. Samuel was also essential in the 49ers’ postseason run picking up two touchdowns.
Many people had expected Samuel to hold out during the season in desire of a new contract, however when Samuel reported to training camp last week, many speculated that a deal for the star receiver was on the table.
Samuel was the 36th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft and quickly showed his talent on all facets of the gridiron, tallying almost 1,0000 yards, before an injury sidelined him for the entirety of the 2020 season. He goes into the 2022 season with a new quarterback in Trey Lance and head coach Kyle Shanahan holding the keys to the offense.
“When Deebo stays healthy and he’s able to practice and able to go through things, Deebo is capable of doing anything,” Shanahan said. “That’s why he’s helped us so much to win, whether it’s in the passing game or the run game or whether it’s blocking or throwing the one time we asked him to throw. When you have guys who have skill sets that can do a number of things you want to always keep them doing them.”
Niners franchise left tackle Trent Williams reflected on Samuel’s dedication and importance to the team. “You watch what he does receiving wise, you watch what he does rushing wise, you watch the spark plug that he is for the team,” Williams said. “You see us coming out of the locker room, that’s not just for show. That’s how we are in the locker room. If you go in there right now, that boom box is probably right next to his locker. He’s that type of person and that’s why he’s important to this organization and that’s why we had to have him.”
The 49ers are expected to be one of the frontrunners of the NFC following a trip to the NFC Championship game last season.
