Contract extension talks between the 49ers and All-Pro wide receiver Deebo Samuel apparently didn’t get off to a great start. The first update on the negotiations came from Samuel when he scrubbed the 49ers from his Instagram account.
While the social media activity appeared to be the result of the regular ebbs and flows of complicated contract talks, ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Tuesday suggested on NFL Live that Samuel is the one who doesn’t want to do a deal in the Bay Area.
“San Francisco wants to pay Deebo Samuel, but Deebo Samuel was the one who scrubbed the 49ers logos off his social media page,” Schefter said. “Deebo Samuel is the one that essentially, basically 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. This, I think right now, is Deebo Samuel not wanting to get a deal done. It’s not San Francisco not willing to do the deal. The 49ers are ready. Deebo Samuel is the one that has put a halt to everything for right now.”
The rift was made even more clear Tuesday when Samuel officially didn’t show up for the start of the team’s offseason program. His brother then took to social media and added more fuel to the fire that presently stands between the 49ers and a long-term deal with their star wide receiver.
In the comments of a 49ers fan Facebook page, Samuel’s brother Tyquan wrote “don’t worry we asking for a trade” with two crying laughing emojis. He followed that up with “he won’t be a 49er (crying laughing emoji) that’s all that matters.”
While it’s easy to write off social media as an unserious, the pieces don’t come together to paint a rosy picture for the 49ers. Perhaps they’re unwilling to come up to Samuel’s salary demands. There might also be an issue with whatever San Francisco’s initial offer was.
The exact machinations are unknown, but Schefter’s report combined with the recent social media activity from Samuel’s brother make it hard to be optimistic about Samuel’s return to San Francisco for the final year of his rookie contract.
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