San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan offered a retrospective look at wide receiver Deebo Samuel's contract negotiations in 2022, describing the process as an effort by Samuel to create leverage. Shanahan stated that Samuel, who has had a close relationship with the coach, may have felt it was advantageous to present their discussions as a public 'battle.'
"When Deebo went through his contract negotiations, I think he thought it’d be advantageous to make it look like there was a little bit of a battle," Shanahan said. "Sometimes that helps, sometimes it doesn’t."
The negotiations were a significant topic of discussion in the summer of 2022, three years after the 49ers selected Samuel 36th overall in the 2019 NFL Draft. Shanahan recalled that after eight OTA practices that offseason, he characterized the external noise surrounding the situation as "BS."
Samuel ultimately attended minicamp, and the team had a productive summer, with the contract reportedly signed on the first day of training camp. Shanahan noted that the difficulties were primarily during the negotiation period in April, not during their direct interactions.
During that period, reports circulated that Samuel wished to be traded, which Shanahan admitted caused confusion. "We’re not around Deebo, then we see him in OTAs, and we got to talk man-to-man, and it was fine as soon as we got with each other," he said.
Samuel played with the 49ers through the 2024 season. He was then traded to the Commanders, with one year remaining on his contract. Last season with Washington, he recorded 72 receptions for 727 yards and five touchdowns. He later re-signed with the 49ers on a one-year deal worth $7 million for his second stint with the team.