The San Francisco 49ers are in a pickle with two players going into 2022.
First, there’s Deebo Samuel, the team’s Swiss Army knife on offense.
He wants a new contract, and rightfully so.
The man did everything for the 49ers during the 2021 NFL season.
He had 1,405 receiving yards on only 77 receptions.
Additionally, he had nine touchdowns from rushing and passing the ball.
With a player of his caliber, everyone needs to keep him happy.
Second, there’s Trey Lance, the likely starter for the 2022 NFL season in San Francisco.
#49ers QB Trey Lance has "got indications" from the team that he'll be the starter in 2022 regardless of Garoppolo's status, per @JFowlerESPN
H/T @bleacherreport pic.twitter.com/t9mg9CVJYE
— OurSF49ers (@OurSf49ers_) April 17, 2022
If Lance wants to have success in San Francisco, it hinges on Samuel and his happiness.
Samuel Can Produce If Lance Feeds Him The Ball
The 77 receptions Samuel had in 2021 led to 1,405 receiving yards, making him a top five receiver in reception yards.
However, if those receptions were increased, he could have broken the single-season record for receiving yards.
That means feeding him the ball is important to Lance’s NFL success.
Whether it’s from passing him the ball or handing it off for a rushing attempt, all these things help Lance.
With increased receptions, the success of San Francisco increases as well.
They could return to the days of Joe Montana and Jerry Rice with Lance and Samuel.
Those were the Super Bowl years that San Francisco was known for their offense.
They could put the 49ers offense on the map again.
Getting Samuel The Contract He Wants Makes Life Easier For Lance
With a contract holdout about to happen with Samuel, San Francisco needs a deal for him fast.
Without a new deal, Samuel might not play during 2022.
Deebo Samuel seems like the kinda guy to holdout until he gets his contract
— Prim (@PNW_Prim) April 17, 2022
If that happens, Lance will suffer without his number one target on the field.
So it comes down to what San Francisco offers their star receiver.
They need to empty the bank account to make him happy.
If they don’t, and he plays, he could have bitterness towards the team. hurting Lance in 2022.
However, if Samuel gets paid, there will be no worries for the second-year quarterback.
But a deal could be hard for San Francisco, as Jimmy Garoppolo eats up cap space on the team.
Could Jimmy G Derail A Samuel Deal?
One of the news stories during the offseason was a potential trade of Garoppolo to free cap space.
However, that never happened, leaving the current starting quarterback on the roster.
But now it’s becoming a problem for the 49ers, who need cap space with their contract talks with Samuel.
They can’t afford a new contract with their star receiver if they don’t rework Garoppolo’s contract.
His deal is worth $26.95 million for 2022, something the 49ers wanted to offload this season.
However, they didn’t find a team to take him and the contract nor have they reworked it.
With less money around, it dampens the contract talks with their best player on the offense.
It could also derail the success of Lance if Samuel refuses to play.
So all fingers are crossed that the 49ers get a deal done soon.
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