With the NFL Draft officially in the books, the likelihood of the San Francisco 49ers trading Deebo Samuel before the start of the 2022 season has decreased significantly. The star wide receiver apparently has not changed his thoughts on the situation, however.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler said on “SportsCenter” Sunday that Samuel is “dug in” with his trade request. The 26-year-old is prepared to be in limbo for quite a while if need be.
“Right now, the teams who were involved or that inquired about Samuel addressed their needs at receiver in the draft. So this could be a long process,” Fowler said, via Bleacher Report’s Rob Goldberg. “I’m told Deebo still is dug in, still wants to be traded, but knows this could drag out for a while.”
Odell Beckham Jr. started a juicy rumor about Samuel being traded to an AFC team on Saturday night, but that turned out to be false. If the Niners were going to trade Samuel, it would have made sense for them to do so prior to or during the first round of the draft. They reportedly received at least two offers but were unwilling to entertain them.
Both 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch have said they are committed to keeping Samuel. The Pro Bowler is entering the final year of his contract, but San Francisco could still use the franchise tag next offseason. Of course, the situation has the potential to turn ugly if Samuel truly wants out and does not get his way.
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