49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel seems to be heading for the trade block based on a simple Google search as NFL podcast hostess Kay Adams pointed out.
Samuel, a guest on the “Up & Adams” podcast on Tuesday had a simple explanation for the rumors as he dismissed them. He has a three-year, $71.55 million deal as the 49ers face a tight salary cap situation this offseason, $7.4 million over the salary cap.
“No idea,” Samuel told Adams regarding trade talk. “If I knew, I’d tell you.”
After Adams asked to clarify if there’s been any other talk about a trade within the 49ers organization, Samuel doubled down that it’s not happening.
“You know that’s just people getting on the internet,” Samuel added.
That’s not to say there isn’t reason for the 49ers to consider a trade. Besides the grim salary cap situation, the Niners will need to pay wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. In addition, the 49ers could save up to $21.98 million in salary cap space with a Samuel trade after June 1.
Numerous Niners analysts weighed on why the team should send Samuel elsewhere for those and other reasons. However, Samuel looks poised for another season with the Niners based on his recent comments.
Samuel tallied 60 catches for 892 yards and seven touchdowns in 2023, and the team results looked different when he played versus his time missed due to injury. San Francisco lost the two full regular season games he missed plus the game where he went down with a shoulder injury.
Speaking of injuries, Samuel sustained a few more during the postseason but kept going amid another shoulder injury and a hamstring injury. Adams asked him if there were any others he played through that he didn’t disclose.
“I don’t know about too much,” Samuel said. “I mean it’s part of the game. I’m not blaming injuries on the reason why I didn’t play the way I was supposed to play, but I mean injuries are part of the game.”
Samuel pointed out teammate Arik Armstead who “played through a knee problem” as an example of others who did it, too.
“You know, you can’t put too much blame on the injuries,” Samuel said.
Samuel acknowledged the challenge of playing through injury in the Super Bowl, but he credited the challenge of facing Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, too. For Samuel and numerous 49ers veterans, it’s the second Super Bowl loss in five years to the Chiefs.
“Now, I’ve kind of put it behind me,” Samuel said. “Two [Super Bowl losses] in five years; that’s pretty rough. Being right there, the two that we’ve been in and falling short, it’s just so heartbreaking. But at the end of the day, you’ve got to move on.”
Samuel talked about visiting Disney World with his son soon and getting refocused on football.
“It’s kind of hard, because basically our job is football, so it’s just like, ‘All right, let’s use this as motivation where you get back in the lab just to put yourself in a position and try to do your best to get back.’ People just say there’s always next year, but I heard that in 2019 and it took four more years to get where we’re at. So, it’s not as easy as people think to get to the Super Bowl,” Samuel said.
