One night, Deebo Samuel is driving for a fast-break layup in a celebrity basketball game, putting his body on the line for a charitable cause. The next night, he is catching footballs from fans in the stands at the University of South Carolina’s spring game.
That might be the extent of Samuel’s team participation for a while.
Samuel, while awaiting a massive contract extension, will skip on-field work in the 49ers’ offseason program that opens Tuesday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Monday morning.
Such a boycott should not be a surprise, not with Samuel’s earlier signs of impatience for a blockbuster extension, the type that the 49ers historically haven’t awarded until later in the summer for homegrown stars.
Second-round picks that include WRs Deebo Samuel, A.J. Brown and Terry McLaurin are not expected to participate in their teams’ on-field off-season programs because they want new contracts at a time this off-season when WR deals have exploded, per league sources.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 18, 2022
Samuel is among a trio of wide receivers from the 2019 draft class awaiting a contract extension amid a booming market, Schefter reported. The others are A.J. Brown of the Tennessee Titans and Terry McLaurin of the Washington Commanders; DK Metcalf of the Seattle Seahawks is another elite wide receiver who should cash in, too.
The 49ers’ voluntary, nine-week offseason program starts Tuesday at their Santa Clara training facility.
If Jimmy Garoppolo is a no-show, too, that also would not be stunning, though coach Kyle Shanahan said last month he expected Garoppolo to attend while rehabilitating from shoulder surgery that tabled any potential trade.
Again, these are voluntary sessions, up until the June 13-14 minicamp.
The nine, coveted practices don’t unfold until May 23, through June 9.
Rehabilitation exercises, along with meetings and conditioning workouts, are all that’s allowed the initial phase of the offseason program through April.
Samuel and his fellow 2019 classmates sought and merited new contracts even before veteran receivers recently raised the pay grade, first with deals accompanying trades of Davante Adams to the Raiders and Tyreek Hill to the Dolphins. Other contracts that influence the market are Christian Kirk signing with the Jaguars and Stefon Diggs striking an extension with the Bills.
Those deals average annually between $26 million and $30 million annually, and while those are inflated numbers spanning the life of contracts, Samuel surely will seek to join that tier after his first All-Pro season helped the 49ers to the NFC Championship Game. Hill and Diggs reportedly are guaranteed about $70 million apiece.
Samuel’s plight gained more intrigue this month via social media. There was him scrubbing the 49ers from his accounts. There was him endorsing a friend’s suggestion that Samuel wouldn’t settle for less than $25 million annually. Then came Friday’s revelation from Samuel that he’s received death threats and racial taunts.
“Hey, for all y’all fans that’s in the DMs and death threats and racial stuff, like, that don’t bother me, bro. It don’t,” Samuel said in an Instagram Stories video that he later deleted. “Because you all were the same ones that was just hoorah-ing and ‘Go Deebo’ and ‘Da-de-da-de.’
“Oh now you’re all wanting to send death threats and racial stuff. It’s don’t bother me, bro. I’m cool. I’m chilling. I’m happy.”
He played the role of a proud father on Easter Sunday and posted Instagram pictures of his 3 1/2-month old son.
Samuel participated Friday night in a charity basketball game held by fellow South Carolina product D.J. Swearinger, with proceeds going toward underprivileged youth. Other NFL players participating were cornerback Stefon Gilmore and running back Mike Davis.
Saturday night marked South Carolina’s spring football game. Samuel watched from the sidelines and passed time by playing catch with fans in the stands, something he’s done during warmups at 49ers’ games in recent years.
He was introduced to the spring game’s crowd as: “From the San Francisco 49ers, Deebo Samuel.” He smiled. He waved. He’ll sign a new deal, eventually, and it will be with the 49ers, barring a franchise-rattling trade.
Deebo's playing catch with the fans.
||@19problemz pic.twitter.com/7WRHCCqcC9
— Vizor Sports (@VizorSportsSC) April 16, 2022
