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The man behind the 49ers' offensive explosiveness put on an absolute show in a playoff-clinching game against Rams, compiling four catches for 95 yards, eight rushes for 45 yards and a touchdown, as well as a touchdown pass for 24 yards. Talk about a three-dimensional weapon. Truly one of a kind.
In reality, the third-year receiver out of South Carolina has been the 49ers' backbone all season, putting the team on his back with a variety of impressive catches and the ability to generate yardage in open space.
With his performance Sunday, Samuel ended the season with 77 catches for 1405 yards and six touchdowns, along with 59 rushes for 365 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground, which was an NFL record for a wide receiver.
At times, Samuel has single-handedly kept the 49ers in football games with his ability to get yards after the catch, where he utilizes his pure strength and elite speed to get past defenders and make explosive plays, both as a receiver and as a running back.
Serving as a reliable weapon for Jimmy Garoppolo, Samuel's accumulated eight games of 90+ yards receiving, and that includes a stretch where the 49ers specifically utilized him as a running back due to the injury issues they faced at the position with Elijah Mitchell.
In the offseason, after finishing his third season, Samuel is eligible for a contract extension, and it won't come cheap, but it's well deserved. And I think San Francisco should 100% pay him.
The 49ers already have George Kittle, Brandon Aiyuk, a stout offensive line, and a serviceable running back in Elijah Mitchell. But, Samuel provides something very different than all four of those offensive elements, and it's arguably the most important aspect of them all: the combination of elite speed, explosion, size, and versatility as a receiver and a running back.
Looking at receiver contracts, DeAndre Hopkins currently leads all NFL receivers in average annual value(AAV) at $27 million/year after signing a 2-year, $54-million extension with the Arizona Cardinals.
When talking contracts, there is one slight obstacle for the 49ers: there are some other receivers in Samuel's class that are also eligible for extensions in D.K. Metcalf, A.J. Brown, and Terry McLaurin, as well as impending free agent Davante Adams, who will likely challenge Hopkins and potentially reset the receiver market.
The 49ers aren't new to the contract eclipsing mechanism: they beat out the Colts and Darius Leonard in the LB race last year when signing Fred Warner to a contract first, which turned out to be a 5-year, $95 million contract. Leonard signed a 5-year, $99.25 million deal days later.
With more competition this offseason for receivers, the 49ers will likely have to pounce fast, which may mean extending Samuel before their normal timeframe, right before training camp, which was when they signed both Fred Warner and George Kittle to their respective extensions.
Thinking about the details of Samuel's potential extension, I think the 49ers and Samuel will likely look towards a 5-year deal, with the potential for a 3-year opt-out clause to give both the 49ers and Samuel some flexibility.
Should Samuel prefer a four-year deal, I'd predict a four-year, $92-100 million deal, but a five-year deal seems likelier between the two parties.
In addition to those terms, I'd expect incentives for accolades like leading the NFL in receiving yards, winning OPOY, MVP, Super Bowl MVP, and more, increasing the maximum money value of the deal.
However, this deal is set under the pretense that San Francisco is the first team to make a deal with their star third-year receiver.
If Seattle, Tennessee, or Washington beats San Francisco to the chase, Samuel and his camp will likely look to top the deal, and rightfully so, as he's as talented, if not the most talented, of the group.
Moral of the story: extend the player that has single-handedly transformed how this offense and future NFL offenses will operate due to his valuable versatility and expertise as both a runner and receiver. And pay him quickly.
- Rohan Chakravarthi
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Written by:Writer/Reporter for 49ers Webzone
