It was time for the San Francisco 49ers to part ways with wide receiver Deebo Samuel. The writing had been on the wall for some time. Samuel's production and reputation as an offensive playmaker have diminished recently. Ultimately, the 49ers traded him for a fifth-round draft pick, willing to absorb a significant dead cap hit in 2025 to move on from the once-impactful wideout.
Samuel's stock soared in 2021, coming off a career year in which he totaled 1,770 scrimmage yards and 14 touchdowns. However, his production fell to a career low in 2024—excluding the injury-plagued 2020 season—with just 806 scrimmage yards and four total touchdowns.
Tim Kawakami of The San Francisco Standard believes trading Samuel, especially for so little in return, sent a clear message.
"They could've just cut Deebo with a post-June 1 designation and split up the cap hits over this and next year," Kawakami wrote. "But doing it in a trade feels like a message — the 49ers' front office wanted Deebo to know that, after his multiple trade requests over the years and the bitter contract negotiations in 2022, he was only worth the 148th pick in April's draft. And they still did it."
Trade talks surrounding Samuel have persisted since he signed a lucrative contract extension with the 49ers after the 2021 season. Kawakami has previously stated that the team regrets rewarding Samuel with a hefty deal.
The 49ers are preparing to reward quarterback Brock Purdy with what is expected to be a massive contract extension, which means tough decisions lie ahead. One option is to part ways with high-priced, less-impactful veterans like Samuel.
Kawakami added that Samuel represents "everything the 49ers didn't want to be in 2025."
The writer goes on to highlight some of the reasons behind the 49ers-Samuel split. He notes lingering frustration with Samuel's underwhelming performance in Super Bowl LVIII against the Kansas City Chiefs. It was an opportunity for him to shine. Instead, he caught just three passes for 33 yards and rushed three times for eight yards.
"A great 2024 season from Deebo could've changed the mood," Kawakami commented. "But he never got going, suffered a few injuries, complained about not getting enough chances, and just looked slow and undynamic."
When Brandon Aiyuk was lost for the season, Jauan Jennings—not Samuel—stepped up. Samuel became too expensive for his diminishing production, and the 49ers didn't seem too inclined to fight to keep him on the roster after his trade request during January's exit interviews.
"There's a lot of love there," general manager John Lynch said last week at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. "There's a lot of respect there. There's a lot of shared experiences. So to let that go, that's difficult."
Kawakami also points out that the 49ers were willing to trade him to an NFC team, signaling their indifference about keeping him within the conference. The Houston Texans, an AFC team, were also reportedly interested in the wideout, although it's unclear how far those talks progressed.
San Francisco is high on last year's first-round pick, Ricky Pearsall. With Jennings already outperforming Samuel, the team was ready to move forward without the 29-year-old veteran, even with Brandon Aiyuk recovering from ACL and MCL injuries.
While the 49ers might chase some top-tier talent in free agency, they know that with less salary cap flexibility in the future, they'll need to hit on many of their 11 projected draft picks to bounce back from their disappointing 6-11 season.