Does Deebo Samuel not want a deal done?
On Tuesday, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Deebo Samuel has been unwilling to engage in extension talks, while the 49ers are at the negotiating table, indicating that Deebo Samuel himself doesn't necessarily want a deal done.
However, is that really true?
On Wednesday, ESPN's Jeff Darlington reported that Deebo Samuel told him of his trade request, which Ian Rapoport later confirmed came approximately two weeks ago, making sense why negotiations have stalled recently.
There's clearly an impasse in this situation, likely over the money demanded, as Samuel has continuously used social media to stress the fact that he's seeking a $25 million-per-year deal.
However, the number that truly matters is the money guaranteed, and more importantly the money guaranteed at signing.
Looking at the 49ers' track record, they're notorious for providing incentive-based deals, lowering the guarantees in a player's contract, especially the upfront money at signing.
Currently, the highest guarantee at signing was quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo at $41.7 million. To put that in perspective, that's 28th in the NFL currently.
Left tackle Trent Williams was very close to leaving the 49ers due to contract negotiations and only re-signed once the 49ers upped their final offer to top the Kansas City Chiefs. Still, in his case, he received just $40 million of his $138 million contract guaranteed at signing.
Now, looking at the receiver market, Tyreek Hill currently leads the pack at $52.5 million guaranteed at signing and $72.2 million in practical guarantees, with Stefon Diggs not far behind at $48 million guaranteed at signing and $70 million in practical guarantees.
As a 26-year-old receiver going into his prime, Samuel is likely looking to match those numbers of his peers, creating a clear disconnect between him and the organization, who've never handed out a contract over $40 million in guarantees at signing during the Shanahan-Lynch era.
So, is it really that Deebo Samuel doesn't want a deal done? It could be. Factors such as location and usage could be significant to Samuel, but the likeliest reason is the discrepancy in money, be it the average annual value, money guaranteed at signing, or the total guarantees.