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After months of media-induced drama, the San Francisco 49ers finally locked up star wide receiver
Deebo Samuel to a contract extension. The deal is reportedly for three years and worth $71.55 million with a maximum value of $73.5 million. The $58.1 million in guaranteed money is the most offered by the franchise. Only quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo's $74.1 million was more.
The 49ers kicked off training camp last week, but Samuel has not participated in practices as he awaited a resolution to his contract situation. The team was off on Sunday, resuming practice today.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan spoke with reporters before today's practice and shared his thoughts on Samuel's massive contract extension. He also confirmed that the deal has been signed, which was
first reported by Pro Football Talk, and is being turned into the league to make it official.
"It was awesome to get Deebo's deal done," Shanahan told reporters. "You guys know it's been a while, but just pumped they got it done. And I know how pumped he is, how pumped we are, and glad to have him back out here at practice."
Today, the 49ers will hold their first padded practice of training camp. The team is expected to ease Samuel back onto the practice field, though.
There was some speculation that Samuel was unhappy with his role as a part-time running back last season, leading to the receiver requesting a trade in April. Shanahan insists that no talks of usage came up during the contract negotiations, and the 49ers will continue to utilize players in a way that gives them "the best chance to win."
"If we wanted to move Deebo to running back, that would have been something that we were honest about," Shanahan said. "Towards the end of last year, the last few games, he became our one-two punch. And also
Elijah [Mitchell], our most physical back, he wasn't the healthiest either. And we thought we had to play our two best guys to get done what we wanted to with our team, which was awesome to have that option to do that."
Shanahan added: "My favorite thing about Deebo is how much he inspires people. And he inspires me more than almost any player I've watched on the field, the way he runs the ball, whether you're handing it to him, whether you're throwing it to him, whether he's catching it on a kick. And these aren't things you have to talk him into doing. Usually, he talks you into doing [it] because Deebo loves playing football, and he loves helping us win, and I think that's what everybody sees on Sunday when you guys watch him on TV, and I think that's why this country really likes Deebo also."
The 49ers coach was also asked about the next steps for the talented wide receiver, who amassed 1,770 all-purpose yards and 14 total touchdowns last season.
"Just to continue doing what he's done," Shanahan responded. "When Deebo stays healthy, and he's able to practice and able to go through things, Deebo's capable of doing anything. And that's why he's helped us so much to win, whether it's in the pass game or the run game, whether it's blocking, whether it's throwing—the one time we asked him to throw. When you have guys who have skill sets who can do a number of things, you want to always keep building off that."
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With the 2024 NFL Draft less than a week away, it's common for the rumor mill to start churning, especially with players who are actively seeking a new contract. It was just two short years ago that WR Deebo Samuel requested a trade from the San Francisco 49ers prior to draft day, only for cooler heads to prevail and eventually agree to a new deal.
Now, it's WR Brandon Aiyuk's turn to try and get paid and rumors surfaced over the weekend that he too would request to be dealt. While that report was quickly shot down by his agent, there's still a lot of discussion about Aiyuk's future and if other teams will come calling on draft night.
Legendary columnist Mike Silver joined
It's evident that the San Francisco 49ers engaged in long-term financial planning. Much discussion has centered around the feasibility of the team committing significant financial resources to two wide receivers, Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel. Some skeptics question the wisdom of such heavy investment in a single position, especially considering that the 49ers handed Samuel a substantial three-year extension merely two years ago.
Adding complexity to this debate is the impending contract extension for quarterback Brock Purdy, positioning him to become the highest-paid player on the team. He will likely even become one of the NFL's highest-paid players. Where he ranks in average salary will depend upon whether he can replicate the stellar performance of his Pro Bowl 2023
John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan have made it clear that they want WR Brandon Aiyuk to be a part of the San Francisco 49ers for the foreseeable future. It appears Aiyuk also wants to get something done, but all indications are that he isn't willing to take a hometown discount and the likelihood of playing on the last year of his deal without a holdout or trade request is slim.
Simply put: Aiyuk wants to get paid.
It's hard to blame him. A player's time in the NFL can be short and it takes just one hit to end a career. So, whether it's with the Niners or another team, Aiyuk will squeeze every penny out of what will most likely be his most lucrative professional contract. But is spending that much on a receiver a wise move for the franchise?
There are a
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy threw for a franchise-record 4,280 yards last season, leading the team to the Super Bowl and earning his first Pro Bowl selection. He held onto the football 39 times on the ground, rushing for 144 yards and scoring twice. This marked a significant improvement over his rookie 2022 campaign when he had 22 carries for 13 yards and a score.
Purdy further displayed his athleticism during the 49ers' playoff game against the Detroit Lions last season, helping engineer a comeback victory while rushing for 48 yards on five carries.
On Tuesday morning, Purdy joined the "Pat McAfee Show," acknowledging that he believes he can contribute more rushing yards if called upon. However, that decision rests with head coach Kyle Shanahan,
