The Deebo Samuel trade saga acquired another fascinating wrinkle Friday. NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport in an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show said not only has Samuel requested a trade, he also told San Francisco not to even offer him a long-term extension.
“From my understanding he basically told them, ‘I want to be traded. Don’t make an offer.’ So it’s like when people say, ‘oh it’s probably about the money,’ I don’t think this is.”
Rapoport went on to provide what appears to be some clarity on why this chasm opened between the 49ers and their star wide receiver. He said the team never put a contract on the table, which spurred Samuel’s action.
“Had the 49ers made an offer initially, he’d have a lot more to think about. But they didn’t. So he does not have an offer. He told them, ‘don’t make an offer, I want to be traded.'”
While this isn’t great news, there might be a silver lining. The trade request came before numbers even came up. It sounds, based on what Rapoport said, like the problem has more to do with timing than actual role or dollar amounts. If that’s the case, the 49ers could be in a position to change Samuel’s mind with a contract offer.
So when would that come down? If San Francisco prefers to get a deal done closer to training camp, they can wait and send over a contract then. It’s hard to believe Samuel would turn down a massive deal if they do make an offer at that point.
However, if his heels are dug in and he’s so insulted by the lack of an offer that he’ll never feel okay about playing for the 49ers again, then this situation could get significantly messier before it ever gets close to being resolved.
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