Coaches and players have noticed a difference in the locker room now that veterans like tackle Trent Williams and defensive end Nick Bosa have returned to Santa Clara. The San Francisco 49ers are holding a three-day mandatory minicamp this week, concluding on Thursday.
Another new attendee is wide receiver Deebo Samuel, who had seemingly distanced himself from the 49ers until this week.
"[Deebo], Trent, and Bosa, when they're in the building, it's a little bit different," quarterback Trey Lance said on Tuesday.
San Francisco would love to sign Samuel to a contract extension. Things got tense—at least in the media's eyes—as Samuel watched the wide receiver market explode and saw many of his peers cash in this offseason.
Of course, you probably know that Samuel requested to be traded, leaving many wondering if the receiver would attend the 49ers' mandatory minicamp. He did.
Deebo having a good time pic.twitter.com/SFKiwOqLfY
— Guy Haberman (@GuyHaberman) June 8, 2022
While he isn't practicing, there is no indication of lingering drama between Samuel and the team. Matt Barrows of The Athletic noted that Samuel was seen joking with teammates during Wednesday's practice, chirping at the defense from the sideline after big plays, and was even following along with a play sheet in his hands.
"That is, he had fun. It was as if everything was normal," Barrows wrote.
Deebo Samuel hasn't yet practiced with the 49ers, but he doesn't seem estranged. He joked around with teammates, chirped (good naturedly) at defensive players after big plays, followed along with a play sheet in his hands. That is, he had fun. It was as if everything was normal.
— Matt Barrows (@mattbarrows) June 8, 2022
That's good news for the 49ers, who endeavor to hold onto last year's breakout player. Samuel is not exhibiting any animosity toward his teammates, coaches, or being in Santa Clara, so the odds of the relationship being mended appear to be good. At least, they are much better than they seemed in April.
"Deebo seems the same," fullback Kyle Juszczyk told reporters after Wednesday's practice. "He seems like the same guy. He's always been positive, always hyping up his teammates, and that hasn't really changed."
Head coach Kyle Shanahan has always been optimistic that the 49ers could successfully navigate the complicated situation. As for the team's relationship with Samuel, that was never a concern.
"Yeah, I think it's always been alright," Shanahan said on Tuesday. "I know we go through the business part of this league, but I don't think the relationship was ever too far away to not get it back to normal, and I think we're working on that. Anytime you're away from each other for a while, that's always harder. But it's good to get him back in here and start getting him around the guys again."