The 49ers delivered their long-awaited promise of keeping Deebo Samuel as the star wide receiver officially signed a three-year contract extension Monday.
It wasn’t the cleanest path to the extension. The offseason was full of drama, highlighted by a trade request from a disgruntled Samuel and the wide receiver deleting all references of the 49ers on his social media accounts.
But the 49ers endured it all, looked into a potential trade at the 2022 NFL Draft and when no offer peaked their interest, they took a deep breath, hung on to Samuel and got him signed before the first day of padded practice at training camp.
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Entering the offseason, fellow star wideout A.J. Brown was in a similar situation to Samuel. It unfolded much differently.
Brown, selected 15 picks after Samuel in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft, was entering the final year of his rookie contract with the Tennessee Titans. He reportedly demanded $80 million guaranteed from the Titans ahead of this year’s draft and, when that wasn’t met, requested a trade.
Brown was more than worthy of an expensive extension after notching back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in his first two years in the league. He would have crossed that milestone again last year had he not missed four games due to injury.
But unlike the 49ers, the Titans moved quickly. Tennessee obliged with Browns’ trade request and shipped the star receiver to the Philadelphia Eagles for the No. 18 overall pick and a third-round pick on draft night.
San Francisco 49ers
That first-round selection ended up being the Titans’ replacement for Brown -- Arkansas wide receiver Treylon Burks.
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Shortly after the news of Samuel’s contract extension was reported, Brown referenced his displeasure with the Titans in a tweet, appearing to put the blame on the organization for why he is no longer catching passes from Ryan Tannehill in Tennessee.
Brown shares an agent with Samuel and Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf. All three received new contracts this offseason -- Samuel with the 49ers, Brown’s four-year extension worth $100 with the Eagles, and Metcalf’s three-year, $72 million contract with the Seahawks. Terry McLaurin, a third-round pick in 2019, landed a three-year extension worth up to $70 million.
Brown was the only one to find a new home this offseason.
While the Titans unloaded Brown on Philadelphia, leaving a 1,000-yard void in their offense, San Francisco remained patient and ensured Samuel would be staying in the Bay, giving quarterback Trey Lance stability as he takes over under center.