There will be no in-season drama regarding Deebo Samuel and his contract. The All-Pro receiver and the 49ers have agreed to three-year, $71.55 million extension (that can reach up to $73.5 million) that includes $58.1 million guaranteed, according to ESPN and confirmed by CBS Sports Josina Anderson. The extension will make Samuel among the league’s highest-paid receivers, a group that also includes Tyreek Hill, Davante Adams, DeAndre Hopkins, and Cooper Kupp.
Samuel reportedly requested a trade in April following a standout 2021 campaign. The 49ers expressed optimism that they could reach a new deal with Samuel after he reported to training camp last week. Samuel, 26, is coming off of a 2021 season that saw him catch 77 passes for 1,402 yards while leading the NFL with an 18.2 yards-per-catch average. He also ran for eight scores while scoring 14 total touchdowns. Samuel scored two touchdowns during the postseason while helping San Francisco advance to the NFC Championship Game.
The 36th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, the 6-foot Samuel tallied nearly 1,000 all-purpose yards as a rookie while helping the 49ers reach the Super Bowl. Injuries limited him to just seven games in 2020 before he rebounded with a big 2021 campaign. NFL Senior Writer Pete Prisco recently tabbed Samuel as the NFL’s 26th best player as part of his annual player rankings.
Samuel will have a new quarterback throwing him the ball in 2022. After spending his rookie season mostly on the bench, 2021 first-round pick Trey Lance has been given the keys to the 49ers’ offense. The 49ers are considered one of the front-runners to come out of the NFC this season. If order to do that, San Francisco will first have to navigate through a competitive division that includes the defending Super Bowl champion Rams, who edged the 49ers in last year’s conference title game.
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