After a few tense months, the relationship between Deebo Samuel and the 49ers might be headed in the right direction.
On Friday, George Kittle appeared on "The Pat McAfee Show" and shared that he spoke with his teammate recently. While they did not talk about the receiver’s contract situation, the tight end said that Samuel was upbeat.
“I actually talked to him like two days ago," Kittle said. "He seemed like he was in a good mood, he was hanging out with his kid who he just had, he’s also a new dad.
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“I didn’t ask about his contract, we were just talking about other things, where he’s training at and we ended up talking about sneakers for a little bit because we’re both sneaker-heads, so that was our entire conversation.”
After eliminating anything associated with the 49ers on his social media accounts, Samuel has recently re-followed the team. The wide-back is entering the fourth and final year of his rookie contract that will net $4 million for the 2022 NFL season.
As a primary player in the 49ers' 2021 run to the NFC Championship Game, Samuel is looking for, and deserves, a substantial contact extension. The dollar amount should be comparable to the $20 per year amount that the Philadelphia Eagles just agreed to with receiver A.J. Brown after acquiring him from the Tennessee Titans.
Both general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan have been vocal about wanting to retain the All-Pro receiver for the long-term but the team has a history of finalizing extensions closer to training camp.
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No one but the involved parties know exactly what the specific issues are regarding Samuel’s unhappiness with the franchise. Kittle explained how not taking what happens during contract negotiations personally.
“He seems like he’s in a good place,” Kittle said. “I think Deebo knows this team loves him, we’d love to have him here, and if he wants to play somewhere else then hey, it is what it is. It’s a business, so I wish him nothing but the best of luck if he goes somewhere else.”
Maybe the situation with Samuel is starting to defrost but for now, those outside the building will simply speculate, and fans in particular, will need to exercise a little patience.