Deebo Samuel and 49ers stalemate: Who’s the bully?

Even though talks between All-Pro wide receiver Deebo Samuel and the San Francisco 49ers have been slow, the situation appears to be far from over. Per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, Samuel hasn't rescinded his trade request with the team. Samuel is entering the last season of his rookie contract. He is a 26-year-old wide receiver with three accrued seasons who will receive $3.99 million in 2022 with a $4.89 million salary-cap hit.

What Samuel did in 2022 was phenomenal. As a wide receiver, he had 1,405 yards and six touchdowns from 77 receptions, averaging 18.2 yards per catch. In addition, Samuel had 59 carries for 365 yards and eight touchdowns as a running back, averaging 6.2 yards per attempt. His most impressive stat was his 20 forced missed tackles. Samuel was so electrifying in 2022 that he coined the new "wide back" position in January ahead of the 49ers' first playoff game. Is it safe to say that Samuel has outperformed his rookie contract?

During the off-season, Samuel scrubbed his social media of pictures related to the 49ers except for two images—the All-Pro picture and a picture of him with quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. Per his agent, Samuel also requested a trade, and this caused an uproar with The Faithful. However, the receiver reported to the team's mini-camp sessions, where he didn't participate in any practices or drills. Still, he did work out Individually while attending the mini-camp.

49ers general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan have clarified that they want Samuel to remain with the team.

"We haven't traded him, and I'd be a fool to trade him," Lynch said earlier this month. "So yes, Deebo will be part of the 49ers this season."

One could assume that part of Kyle's plan was to address the "wide back" position on the team. Samuel mentioned that he wanted to focus more on being a wide receiver and getting paid like a wide receiver. The front office addressed this by signing wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud, who could help reduce Samuel's dual-threat role. The team also drafted a durable running back, Tyrion Davis-Price, to assist with the running game.

So who's being the bully here? We all know where the "Deebo" nickname came from (his real name is Tyshun Raequan Samuel). His father coined it from the popular neighborhood bully character played by the late great Tommy "Tiny" Lister Jr. from the movie "Friday." It appears that the relationships need to be mended between Samuel and the 49ers.

If one side gives in, does that mean they got bullied? Only time will tell. I'm betting that Samuel will play an intricate part in the development of Trey Lance, and he will be with the 49ers for a long time.