San Francisco 49ers fans woke up on Super Bowl Sunday to surprising news: Wide receiver Deebo Samuel had requested a trade, and the team granted him permission to seek one. This report seemed to contradict what general manager John Lynch said after the season—that the 49ers planned to keep Samuel on the roster in 2025.
"A good player and has done a ton for this organization," Lynch said. "We're not in the business of letting good players out of here."
Trade rumors have surrounded Samuel for years. However, the 49ers face financial challenges if they decide to move him this offseason. Trading the receiver before June 1 would cost the team nearly twice as much as keeping him.
Still, NFL analyst Brian Baldinger believes there are valid reasons why the 49ers might be open to parting ways with the once-very-impactful wideout.
"Look, if Deebo doesn't want to be there, then accommodate him," Baldinger said Tuesday morning on Bay Area radio station 95.7 The Game. "First of all, it's a heavy contract that they don't really need, based on the production."
Samuel totaled just 806 scrimmage yards and four touchdowns last season—a far cry from his breakout 2021 campaign, when he racked up 1,770 scrimmage yards and 14 touchdowns. He hasn't come close to approaching those numbers since.
"And there's nobody amongst us or fans that don't like Deebo or respect Deebo," Baldinger continued. "We've seen the things that he has done in this league. But, right now, they're hamstrung by some really big contracts.
"The [WR Brandon] Aiyuk contract is big. We'll see if he comes back and what player he is when he comes back because you don't know right away—or when he comes back. But they've got a lot of money put into the wide receiver position and a lot of key positions."
Baldinger also pointed out that the 49ers' salary cap situation will become tighter once they finalize a contract extension for quarterback Brock Purdy. Last year's first-round pick, wide receiver Ricky Pearsall, could help ease the potential loss of Samuel.
Baldinger added, "But I would say ... the quicker they can get this thing settled, the better they can get into their offseason."
You can listen to Baldinger's entire interview below.