No one knows where San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel will play next season.
For now, he will be playing the final year of his rookie contract with the team that drafted him in 2019.
His $3,986,000 base salary didn’t justify his 1,770 total yards and 14 touchdowns last season.
The South Carolina alumnus is now using his leverage by missing the team’s offseason workout program.
But he might miss more team activities until he agrees to a contract extension.
However, ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter gave an overview of the situation.
“SF would pay Deebo Samuel today, tomorrow, the next day, it's not hard to figure out what the contract would
look like. This, I think is Deebo not wanting to get a deal done. The 49ers are ready, Deebo’s the one that's put a halt to everything for right now." — Schefter on ESPN— Akash Anavarathan (@akashanav) April 19, 2022
Schefter said, “SF would pay Deebo Samuel today, tomorrow, the next day. It’s not hard to figure out what the contract would look like. This, I think, is Deebo not wanting to get a deal done. The 49ers are ready. Deebo’s the one that’s put a halt to everything for right now.”
Could this be the reason Samuel isn’t signed to a new deal?
If this turns out to be accurate and he is having second thoughts, the 49ers would have difficulty replacing their do-everything wideout.
San Francisco still has time to lock in Samuel with a long-term deal.
On the flip side, perhaps he’s also waiting for other wide receivers to get their deal.
He Who Signs First Loses
Aside from Samuel, his fellow 2019 draftees Terry McLaurin and A.J. Brown won’t report for their team’s on-field offseason workouts.
Meanwhile, D.K. Metcalf is also up for contract negotiations with the Seattle Seahawks.
None of them have fifth-year options because they weren’t drafted in the first round.
But there might be a waiting game among these wideouts who have comparable stats.
Coincidentally, Brown, Metcalf, and Samuel are represented by CAA Sports, and they might make contract offers that are not far off from one another.
However, the one who signs first among these four players might get the least amount of money.
Once that deal is done, the other wideouts would use that contract as a reference to ask for more.
NEXT: 49ers Insider Explains Why Deebo Samuel Will Wait To Sign