A couple new chapters were added to the trade saga of San Francisco 49ers star Deebo Samuel over the weekend.
The team’s best offensive player requested a trade from the organization on Wednesday, April 20, shortly after deleting all connections to the Niners from his social media pages.
Then on Saturday, Samuel was captured on video partying at a club in Los Angeles. As the night progressed, bottle service arrived with a big lit-up sign that read “DEEBO IS STAYING 49ERS.” The person filming then cuts to Samuel himself, who smiles, and then gestures to say “no.”
Some interpreted the video as a sure sign that Samuel is committed to leaving the Niners, but his gesture could just as easily be interpreted as a signal that no decision has been explicitly made.
The second bit of Samuel news came from his own social media. In a now-deleted post on his Instagram Stories, he revealed a text exchange with Seahawks safety Jamal Adams, who tried to offer some encouraging words after Samuel received angry responses to his trade request from some Niners fans. Samuel then outright insulted Adams, responding that his situation was different from the safety’s — who also publicly requested a trade — because he actually “carried” his team to the playoffs. The Seahawks did not make the playoffs this past season, as they finished last in the NFC West at 7-10.
This perhaps gives us more insight into Samuel’s mentality at the moment, as it indicates how much he values himself as a player. He believes he’s capable of carrying a team to the postseason, but apparently is not interested in using those capabilities to carry — his words, not mine — the Niners anymore, meaning the media will now be more likely to use the word “disgruntled” to describe him from here on out.
Samuel was an All-Pro player last season. He led the league with 18.2 yards per catch and 6.2 yards per carry while scoring a combined 14 touchdowns. His 1,770 yards from scrimmage ranked third in the league, and he rushed for eight touchdowns, which is an NFL single-season record for a receiver.
If the Niners are committed to making a move in response to Samuel’s trade request, their time is running out. The 2022 NFL Draft, where the team could at least find some semblance of a Samuel replacement or heir apparent, starts on Thursday.