Deebo Samuel

Commanders, Deebo Samuel Agree To Reworked Deal

March 19th, 2025 at 2:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

No immediate Deebo Samuel extension followed his Washington arrival, separating this trade of a 2019 second-round wideout from the trades involving D.K. Metcalf and A.J. Brown. Samuel will be assured of a nice 2025 payout, at least.

Samuel’s near-$17MM base salary will become fully guaranteed, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who adds $3MM in incentives will be attached to this revised agreement. That said, not too much has changed here; that may be more notable than any updated guarantee.

Metcalf agreed to a four-year, $128MM extension upon being traded to Pittsburgh. The ex-Seahawk joined Samuel in entering the NFL in the ’19 second round, and while Metcalf does not have a first-team All-Pro honor on his resume like the ex-49er does, he has been a more consistent player since each signed second contracts during 2022 training camp. Samuel saw injuries and modest performances ding his trade value, making the Commanders’ add more of a flier. Trade cost also separated this swap from the Steelers-Seahawks exchange, as Seattle obtained a second-round pick for Metcalf.

Samuel, 28, receiving guarantees early is not especially notable; as a vested veteran, he would have secured them shortly before Week 1. Remaining in a contract year, however, is key here. The Commanders may well look to evaluate their trade acquisition’s fit alongside Terry McLaurin, who joins Metcalf in having a more consistent career. Samuel’s best work has bettered both, but it has been a while since the versatile playmaker has made top-flight contributions.

Accumulating 1,770 scrimmage yards in 2021, Samuel powered the 49ers’ passing attack during Jimmy Garoppolo‘s final full season as the team’s starter. Samuel did improve on his 2022 dud with a 12-touchdown 1,117-yard 2023, but he struggled again in 2024. The 49ers moved on from Samuel after the near-$24MM-AAV player totaled just 670 receiving yards last year. The Commanders providing an extension now would not exactly be called for, given the South Carolina alum’s unreliability and potential durability concerns.

Still, Washington has secured what should be a substantial WR2 upgrade after being unable to provide McLaurin with a quality complementary option throughout the former third-rounder’s run. Samuel will give Jayden Daniels an interesting inside option, and the presence of Austin Ekeler may ensure not many handoffs go on Samuel’s odometer (202 career carries) this season. For now, though, the Commanders will wait and see on their trade asset’s post-2025 future.

Deebo Samuel Notes: Draft Compensation, Jonathan Allen, Broncos, Texans

March 2nd, 2025 at 9:46am CST by Rory Parks

The 49ers made good on their promise to honor WR Deebo Samuel’s trade request, shipping him to the Commanders in exchange for a fifth-round pick. Given Samuel’s disappointing 2024 season, San Francisco knew it would be selling low on the 2021 First Team All-Pro, and a Day 3 selection was seen as the likely return. That said, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini says Niners GM John Lynch was seeking a fourth-rounder before agreeing to take back the fifth from former subordinate and current Washington GM Adam Peters.

Albert Breer of SI.com says that selection will be a 2025 pick (No. 148 overall), which means Washington’s first pick on the third day of April’s draft will not be until the sixth round (the team dealt a third- and fourth-rounder to the Saints as part of the November trade that brought CB Marshon Lattimore into the fold, and the pick going to San Francisco is the same one Washington acquired in the Lattimore trade). As such, Breer believes the club could seek trade-down opportunities to backfill the holes that the Lattimore and Samuel deals created.

In light of Lattimore’s recent injury woes and Samuel’s inability to recapture his 2021 form, those acquisitions come with some risk. However, the potential reward is also quite high. When looking at the net impact on the Commanders’ cache of draft picks, the high-profile transactions allowed Washington to address areas of obvious need with Pro Bowl-caliber players in exchange for a 2025 third-rounder, fourth-rounder, and sixth-rounder (h/t ESPN’s Field Yates). The Niners, meanwhile, now have 11 selections in April’s draft (h/t/ Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle), which could be critical for a club that may put a high-end QB contract on its books in the near future.

One of the ways Peters could acquire additional draft capital is by dealing longtime DT Jonathan Allen, who has been given permission to seek a trade. Per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Allen’s name did come up when the Commanders and 49ers were discussing Samuel, but the 30-year-old defender remains on Washington’s roster for the time being. Although Allen could have been a replacement for presumptive cap casualty Javon Hargrave, Allen’s salary – he is due $15.5MM in base pay in 2025 – was perhaps an insurmountable hurdle.

Regardless of whether they retain or jettison Allen, the cap-flush Commanders have the financial wherewithal to take a risk on a player with Samuel’s upside (as noted previously, the team is absorbing the entirety of Samuel’s $17.55MM salary for 2025, the last year of his current deal). As we also discussed earlier this month, the South Carolina product is technically due a $15.4MM option bonus on March 22, and Washington could utilize the option to spread out the $17.55MM cap charge and incur just $5.21MM against the cap this year. However, that would push additional money into void years, and since the Commanders are expected to have over $80MM in cap room, Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com believes the team will simply take on the entire $17.55MM hit in 2025. Of course, Samuel and his new team could explore an extension, a possibility that Fitzgerald and others have acknowledged.

The Texans joined the Commanders as teams that had serious interest in Samuel, and the dynamic “wide back” would have been interested in joining Houston, per Russini (subscription required). He also would have been intrigued by the possibility of landing with the Broncos. There have been conflicting reports about whether Denver was actually interested in Samuel, but Russini indicates that neither the Broncos nor the Texans actually made an offer.

49ers To Trade Deebo Samuel To Commanders

March 1st, 2025 at 10:47pm CST by Adam La Rose

The 49ers finally found a trade partner with whom they came to an agreement on terms to trade star wide receiver Deebo Samuel. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the Commanders will acquire the versatile offensive veteran for draft compensation. ESPN’s Adam Schefter was the first to report the trade compensation as a fifth-round pick. Schefter adds that the trade will not be processed until the start of the new league year on March 12.

A report from yesterday named the Texans and Commanders as the teams which were making the strongest pushes to acquire Samuel. In short order, a deal has been reached which will send the former All-Pro to the nation’s capital. Washington had recently been linked to the pursuit of a receiver capable of complementing Terry McLaurin, and if healthy Samuel will be able to fit the bill.

The 29-year-old spent spent his first six years with San Francisco, serving as a key figure on offense and establishing himself as a unique skill-position weapon. Samuel’s most productive season by far came in 2021, when he racked up over 1,400 receiving yards and led the NFL in yards per catch (18.2). The former second-rounder also scored eight rushing touchdowns while succeeding in his ‘wide back’ role.

The 2022 offseason was defined in large part for the 49ers by the protracted negotiating process on a Samuel extension (something the team has become increasingly familiar with). The South Carolina product requested a trade at one point, but a three-year, $71.55MM agreement was ultimately worked out. One year remains on the deal, and Schefter notes the Commanders are taking on the full amount of the outstanding compensation.

As a result, Washington will pay Samuel roughly $17.55MM in 2025 barring an extension or restructure being worked out upon arrival. Given his injury troubles and decline production since signing his deal, this will be a critical campaign for the one-time Pro Bowler. On the 49ers’ end, this transaction will save $15.68MM on the team’s cap but generate $31.55MM in dead money.

In spite of that financial impact, this move comes as no surprise from San Francisco’s perspective. Samuel was the subject of trade talk at the draft last spring, and the 49ers’ monster extension for Brandon Aiyuk (and, to a much lesser extent, their new deal for Jauan Jennings) represented commitments to other wideouts for the post-2024 future. Once Ricky Pearsall was added in the first round of the draft, expectations increased that Samuel would be on the move after this past season. General manager John Lynch recently confirmed the 49ers would honor Samuel’s most recent trade request.

Commanders general manager Adam Peters previously worked in the 49ers’ front office, a factor which helps explain how he and Lynch managed to work out a trade well in advance of free agency. Anthony Lynn – who joined the Commanders’ coaching staff under Dan Quinn last offseason – has also worked with Samuel in San Francisco, so he represents another familiar face. If all goes according to plan, this trade could result in a long-term partnership between team and player via a new contract.

Washington traded away former first-rounder Jahan Dotson shortly into the beginning of the Peters-Quinn regime, something which left team short on WR2 options. Veteran Noah Brown played a notable role on offense before being lost to injury, and he has expressed a desire to re-sign with the Commanders. It will be interesting to see how the team’s in-house plans at the receiver position change in the wake of the Samuel acquisition.

As for the 49ers, their passing attack will continue to be centered on Aiyuk (presuming, of course, the latest round of trade interest in his case his rebuffed), Jennings, Pearsall and extension candidate George Kittle. Talks with the latter, along with quarterback Brock Purdy, have begun. Working out a long-term extension which will keep Purdy in place represents the top priority for the 49ers, but the offense he will be at the helm of in 2025 and likely beyond will not include Samuel.

Ely Allen contributed to this post.

WR Brandon Aiyuk Drawing Trade Interest

March 1st, 2025 at 12:58pm CST by Ben Levine

As the Deebo Samuel sweepstakes continues to heat up, rival teams are sniffing around on another 49ers receiver. According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, teams have expressed interest in trading for 49ers wideout Brandon Aiyuk.

Aiyuk, of course, was one of the main characters of the 2024 offseason. The receiver was a mainstay in trade rumors before ultimately signing a four-year, $120MM extension with the Niners. The drama proved to be especially worthwhile for the player after he suffered a season-ending ACL tear in October, an injury that surely would have impacted his earnings potential in 2025.

A trade market would obviously look different in 2025 vs. 2024. Besides Aiyuk’s injury and impending rehab, the receiver is now firmly attached to a contract that’s tied for fifth at the position in average annual value. Last offseason’s saga featured plenty of potential suitors. The wideout reportedly nixed a trade to the Steelers, and he wasn’t interested in re-signing with the Patriots and Browns. The Commanders also reached out about a deal, although the 49ers were reportedly asking for Terry McLaurin in return.

Samuel’s recent trade request also changes things. The 49ers may be even more reliant on Aiyuk moving forward, as the organization intends to honor Samuel’s wish. The Commanders are once again talking trade with San Francisco, as we heard yesterday that they’re one of two teams “aggressively” pursuing the veteran (along with the Texans).

Any teams interested in Aiyuk would surely be looking to buy low. Even before his season-ending injury, Aiyuk wasn’t putting up the same numbers as his All-Pro 2023 campaign. After averaging 83.9 yards per game in 2023, Aiyuk dropped to 53.4 yards per game in 2024, with his catch percentage and receiving success rate also dropping to career lows.

There’s no true incentive for the 49ers to sell Aiyuk when his value is lowest, and the team would surely prefer he just returns to form and leads the depth chart. The likes of Jauan Jennings, 2024 first-round pick Ricky Pearsall, and 2024 fourth-round Jacob Cowing could easily step up in 2025, but the team will already be relying on the depth with Deebo out the door.

Commanders, Texans Aggressively Pursuing Deebo Samuel Trade

February 28th, 2025 at 11:04pm CST by Adam La Rose

Deebo Samuel is known to be on the trade market, and the 49ers are prepared to honor his request to be moved. A pair of serious serious suitors have emerged.

The Commanders and Texans have shown “significant interest” in acquiring Samuel in recent days, Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz reports. He adds that talks have progressed at the Combine, meaning an agreement could soon be in place. While other teams could find themselves in play, Washington and Houston have been the most aggressive to date, per Schultz.

Both teams represent logical suitors for a veteran receiver addition. Washington has 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels attached to his initial NFL contract through at least 2027, giving the team a window of opportunity to make a strong push in terms of acquisitions this offseason. Bringing in a secondary option to complement Terry McLaurin is known to be on the Commanders’ radar.

McLaurin is only on the books for one more year, and none of his 2025 base salary ($15.5MM) is guaranteed. An extension could be on tap as a result, and Washington could stand to make a number of additions on the defensive side of the ball during free agency and the draft this spring. Still, adding a wideout with a stronger track record than the likes of Dyami Brown, Olamide Zaccheaus, Luke McCaffrey or Noah Brown – the latter of whom wants to re-sign – would be feasible.

Just like the Commanders, the Texans have the benefit of an affordable high-end quarterback under team control for years to come in the former of C.J. Stroud. Houston assembled a strong trio atop the WR depth chart last year, acquiring Stefon Diggs via trade from the Bills. Given his presence, along with that of Nico Collins and Tank Dell, expectations were high in 2024. The team’s offense did not preform as hoped, though, and both Diggs and Dell wound up suffering ACL tears.

Diggs is a pending free agent as a result of the restructure he worked out upon arrival in Houston. The team is open to bringing him back, but the injury could complicate his market value. Dell, meanwhile, is in danger of missing most (potentially all) of the 2025 campaign. An experienced pass-catcher would therefore be welcomed, particularly if veteran Robert Woods – who handled a small workload this past campaign – departs in free agency.

One year remains on Samuel’s pact, part of the reason he has long been seen as a trade candidate. That become true to an even larger extent last offseason when the 49ers selected Ricky Pearsall in the first round of the draft and (eventually) worked out a big-ticket extension with Brandon Aiyuk. Samuel, 29, could soon see his San Francisco tenure come to an amicable end.

The former second-rounder earned All-Pro acclaim in 2021, the year in which he best highlighted his unique skillset. Samuel led the NFL in yards per reception (18.2) with a 77-1,405-6 statline. Toward the end of the campaign, he increasingly handled ‘wide back’ duties and racked up eight rushing touchdowns. On the back of that success, he secured a three-year, $71.55MM extension (the end result of a process which included a trade request at one point).

Samuel has missed multiple games each year since signing his pact, though, and only once in that span has he eclipsed 1,000 scrimmage yards. The 49ers could be equipped to move forward with Aiyuk and Pearsall leading the way at the receiver spot, with Jauan Jennings in the fold in a notable complementary role as well. Samuel, if healthy, would nevertheless add a distinct element to any number of offenses.

Schultz’s report also names the Steelers and Broncos as teams which have shown some level of interest. Pittsburgh was linked to many receiver additions last offseason, including extensive trade talks and extension negotiations related to Aiyuk. Denver aims to keep Courtland Sutton in the fold, but the team is not believed to have serious interest in adding a pricey veteran such as Samuel or Cooper Kupp.

A Day 3 pick was recently mentioned as the potential trade price in a Samuel deal. The Commanders are on track to own seven selections, including four on the draft’s final day. The Texans only have six picks at the moment, but they own one in each of the fourth and fifth rounds. It will be interesting to see if an agreement can be reached with either team in the near future.

49ers To “Honor” Deebo Samuel’s Trade Request

February 26th, 2025 at 6:36pm CST by Ben Levine

While trade requests don’t always result in a trade, it sounds like Deebo Samuel will get his wish. 49ers general manager John Lynch acknowledged that the team intends to honor the wideout’s recent trade request (per Mike Klis of 9News in Denver).

After being the subject of trade rumors last offseason, Samuel was the one to actively seek a divorce in 2024. The receiver recently revealed that he asked the 49ers for a trade, and we later learned that the front office granted the wideout permission to seek a new team.

Considering the 49ers’ willingness to send Samuel to a desirable spot, the organization wasn’t expected to get a haul for the former All-Pro. In fact, one report indicated that the organization may have to settle for a Day 3 pick, a notable drop from their first- or second-round asking price from last offseason. Lynch seemed to grasp at his little leverage while speaking with reporters, noting that Samuel has already garnered “a lot of interest around the league” (per Matt Barrows of The Athletic).

Samuel’s All-Pro showing in 2021 earned him a three-year, $71.55MM extension in July 2022. The veteran has continued to be a major part of San Francisco’s offense, but he’s dealt with injuries and a drop in production over the past three years. That seemed to culminate in 2024 when the receiver finished with 806 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns — his worst showing since his seven-game 2020 campaign.

While Deebo may find a new team relatively quickly, it may take a bit for the trade to actually be made official. That’s because the 49ers would create a negative cap charge of over $15MM by trading him before June 1. If the receiver is moved in a post-June 1 trade, the 49ers could spread out his dead cap charge across multiple seasons (and even open up about $5MM in cap space for 2025).

Broncos To Discuss Courtland Sutton Extension; Team Not Interested In Cooper Kupp, Deebo Samuel?

February 25th, 2025 at 3:51pm CST by Sam Robinson

Courtland Sutton has now put together back-to-back quality seasons. After helping Russell Wilson rebound from a disastrous 2022 with a 10-touchdown 2023, the Broncos’ top wide receiver aided Bo Nix to boost the team’s playoff chances.

Sutton’s second career 1,000-yard season performed heavy lifting in Denver’s journey to a 10-7 record and first playoff berth in nine years. The veteran wide receiver remains tied to the $15MM-per-year extension he signed during the 2021 season. On one hand, Sutton secured a reasonable deal for a player with his accomplishments at the time. On the other, he tied himself down as multiple market booms transformed the position’s salary landscape.

That four-year, $60MM pact is up after the 2025 season. The Broncos were believed to have made this offseason the point they would discuss new terms with Sutton, after only agreeing to a minor incentive package in 2024. The talented receiver/trade-rumor mainstay is on the team’s extension radar, though it does not seem likely a new deal emerges soon within days or weeks.

“[GM] George [Paton] and I were just talking about it. Those discussions will take place [between] George, Courtland’s [agent],” Sean Payton said (via 9News’ Mike Klis). “We felt he had a real good season; he’s important to what we’re doing. So all of that will happen in time and I don’t think now’s the time.”

Paton did say he will meet with Sutton’s agent at the Combine. Sutton, 29, has made the interesting transition from a player thrown into trade rumors at just about every trade window between the 2022 and ’24 deadlines — these cycles including the Broncos declining a 49ers third-round pick — to one the Broncos are again ready to build around. After unloading Jerry Jeudy and Tim Patrick last year, Denver has Sutton still in place from the John Elway era. While Jeudy did re-emerge (particularly in a monster revenge performance in Denver) with a solid season after being traded, the Broncos saw Sutton post 1,081 receiving yards and eight TDs in 2024. The 6-foot-4 target played the lead role in Nix throwing the second-most TD passes (29) by a rookie in NFL history.

Among active WR deals, Sutton ranks 22nd in AAV. He is due a nonguaranteed $13.5MM, an amount Sutton and his agent have informed the Broncos (via Klis) will be untenable for 2025. While the Broncos have some time to resolve this matter, augmenting their skill-position corps around their WR1 will be a near-future task.

Even if the seven-year vet is retained on a deal more in line with today’s market, the Broncos have questions at receiver. Two-for-two in first-team All-Pro nods as a return man, Marvin Mims has slowly made progress on offense. The team also saw sporadic production from rookies Devaughn Vele and Troy Franklin, but it can be argued the Broncos are in need of another piece. Payton, however, pointed to a tight end being a higher priority compared to receiver. Today brought more in that direction.

The Broncos are not believed to be interested in Cooper Kupp or Deebo Samuel in trades, the Denver Post’s Troy Renck adds. Both NFC West standouts are not expected back with their respective teams, but the Rams and 49ers also have been linked to potentially cutting the All-Pros. This would open the door for receiver-needy teams and potentially affect the lot of veteran free agents at the position.

Samuel would be closer to what Payton seeks in his perpetual quest to add a “joker” performer to his offense. Denver lacked reliable pass catchers at running back and tight end last season. Samuel profiles as an inside playmaker, albeit an injury-prone one coming off a down season. He amassed just 670 receiving yards in 15 games and has frequently battled short-term injuries; a more serious Jones fracture is also on Samuel’s medical sheet. Making his name as a slot ace, Kupp has also seen injuries hamper him since his triple-crown season in 2021.

Options will be available to the Broncos in free agency, as Amari Cooper, Stefon Diggs and Keenan Allen are all high-end route runners out of contract. Diontae Johnson also profiles as such, but he burned plenty of bridges (while torpedoing his value) during a turbulent 2024. The draft will also be an avenue for the Broncos to add a piece at receiver, as the team searches for RB and TE upgrades as well.

49ers WR Deebo Samuel Worth Day 3 Pick?

February 21st, 2025 at 10:04pm CST by Ely Allen

The 49ers-Deebo Samuel road has been a rocky one for some time now. After a hold-in led to a new deal in 2022, it didn’t take long for trade talks to circulate involving one (and eventually both) of the team’s top wide receivers. The veteran weapon was not moved, in part due to the 49ers’ lack of satisfaction with the offers that were coming in for him, and this offseason doesn’t appear likely to bring in bigger offers.

During an appearance on The John Keim Report, ESPN’s Nick Wagoner gave his opinion on Samuel’s trade value in 2025. He reminded us that, last year, it was teammate Brandon Aiyuk who was getting the Round 1 and 2 offers that San Francisco was hoping to get for Samuel. Samuel, on the other hand, was receiving interest from teams with late-Day 2 offers or worse. This offseason, Wagoner predicts that the offers will all be picks from Day 3 of the draft.

Part of that is due to performance and health issues from Samuel since his extension was signed. Another part of it is the publicity of the situation. As Wagoner states, the 49ers are dead set on moving on from Samuel, and Samuel is dead set on moving on from the 49ers, and the whole of the NFL world knows this. This total transparency doesn’t give either side much bargaining power over a new team interested in acquiring Samuel’s talents.

Michael David Smith of NBC Sports goes as far as to say that, though many teams appear to be interested in Samuel, their pursuit may not come via trade offers. Smith indicates that teams could continue to lowball the 49ers with their trade offers knowing that the 49ers could cut Samuel if they can’t work out a trade. At that point, Samuel’s free agency would become fair game for everyone.

This decision by San Francisco would likely need to occur by March 22. That day, a month from now, is the date on which the team would owe Samuel a $15.4MM option bonus if he’s still on the roster. If the 49ers can’t work out a trade by then, it seems extremely likely that they would cut Samuel, knowing that both sides are dead set on moving on from each other. Opposing teams seeking to acquire the 29-year-old would then just need to wait the 49ers out in order to avoid spending draft capital in securing Samuel’s services.

49ers Give WR Deebo Samuel Permission To Seek Trade; Parting Appears Likely

February 9th, 2025 at 8:55pm CST by Rory Parks

8:55pm: Samuel has been given permission to seek a trade, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. Schefter’s ESPN colleague, Nick Wagoner, does not expect much of a return given that the club would be selling low.

Samuel said today (via Schefter), “it was a hard conversation to have with [Shanahan] because of the relationship that we have. But I have to do what’s best. I’m more than thankful for the Niners giving me the opportunity of a lifetime, but now I think it’s best that we find another team.”

8:19am: Just like last offseason, 49ers WR Deebo Samuel may be the subject of trade rumors in the weeks and months ahead. Per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, San Francisco is expected to explore a trade involving the 2021 First Team All-Pro.

Samuel enjoyed a stunning breakout in that 2021 campaign, his third season in the NFL. He piled up 1,405 receiving yards on a league-best 18.2 yards-per-reception rate to go along with six receiving touchdowns, and he added 59 rushes for 365 yards (6.2 yards per carry) and eight more TDs. That performance earned him a three-year, $71.55MM extension in July 2022.

Since signing the contract, Samuel has remained a key cog in head coach Kyle Shanahan’s offense, though he has not come close to reaching the heights of his 2021 effort. And, in 2024, he set or tied career-lows in targets (81), catches (51), yards per carry (3.2), and rushing scores (one) (excluding the 2020 season, in which he played just seven games).

Last year, the 49ers engaged in lengthy extension talks with fellow WR Brandon Aiyuk – a period that included trade discussions with clubs interested in Aiyuk – and Samuel’s name also came up in trade conversations during the 2024 draft. The Bills, Patriots, and Steelers – all of whom are still in the WR market – showed interest at the time.

After San Francisco selected wideout Ricky Pearsall in last year’s first round and finally agreed to an extension with Aiyuk, it became clear that Samuel’s days with the club could be numbered. However, there were no substantive trade talks centered around Samuel in the run-up to last year’s deadline, perhaps because Aiyuk was lost for the season due to an ACL tear before such conversations would have taken place. And, just last month, GM John Lynch and Samuel indicated the 29-year-old playmaker would see out the 2025 season – the last year of his current deal – with the Niners.

Of course, even if Lynch does speak to clubs interested in Samuel, there is no guarantee he will make a move. If a trade is consummated, though – and Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle describes a parting as “likely” – Rapoport says both player and team will be at peace with it.

Despite 2024’s downturn in production, Rapoport expects plenty of teams to be interested in acquiring Samuel’s services. The South Carolina product said in December that he was “a little frustrated for sure” by his reduced role in the 49ers’ offense, and in a since-deleted post on X that he made around the same time, he said he was not struggling, he just was not getting the ball. Perhaps rival clubs share that sentiment and believe they can help Samuel return to his All-Pro form.

From a cap perspective, a trade could be complicated by Samuel’s September restructure. Trading him prior to June 1 would create a negative cap charge of over $15MM, whereas a post-June 1 transaction would allow the team to at least spread out the dead money and save about $5MM against the 2025 cap. Every little bit will help as the Niners gear up for a lucrative Brock Purdy extension.

49ers Retaining WR Deebo Samuel; Plan To Release DT Javon Hargrave

January 8th, 2025 at 10:59pm CST by Ely Allen

In recent months, the 49ers have made adjustments to the contracts for both wide receiver Deebo Samuel and defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, per ESPN’s Nick Wagoner. Both contracts have notable potential outs following the 2024 NFL season, and it appears that San Francisco intends to act on one of those outs. According to general manager John Lynch, the 49ers plan to retain Samuel for the final year of his contract but will release Hargrave with a post-June 1 designation once the new league year starts in March.

Samuel’s recent contract reconstruction resulted in a situation in which he would account for $31.55MM of dead money should he be cut or traded before June 1. A post-June 1 designation would reduce that dead money hit to $10.75MM and result in cap savings in 2025 of $5.21MM. If the team had not utilized the post-June 1 designation on Hargrave, his release would’ve resulted in $24.86MM of dead money, but with the designation, that number dips down to $7.38MM, resulting in $2.85MM of cap savings.

Samuel, who is turning 29 in a week, just concluded a disappointing, injury-plagued season. It continued a trend of what seems to be alternating years of health and production versus years of injuries and a lack of top-end production. Following the conclusion of his 2024 campaign, Samuel claimed he had “no questions at all” about his future in San Francisco.

Hargrave, 31, just finished an injury-plagued season himself, the first such season of his nine-year career. Following two Pro Bowl campaigns in the last three years, Hargrave only made an appearance in three games in 2024. Hargrave’s recent restructuring facilitated a smooth effecting of the potential out, knowing the strain his $47.86MM cap hit was set to put on the organization in 2026.

Lynch and the Niners made it sound as if they hope to potentially compete in Hargrave’s free agency, but Wagoner claims the reunion is an unlikely one unless Hargrave agrees to a significantly reduced contract. Look for the veteran defender to shop his talents around a bit before potentially committing to return with a pay cut.

Load More Posts