SANTA CLARA -- Wide receiver Deebo Samuel and the 49ers are contractually tied to each other for another four years through the 2025 season.
And coach Kyle Shanahan said he was asked to make no concessions with how he can use the All-Pro player.
“Deebo and I talk about a lot of things, and I know how Deebo feels and he knows how I feel,” Shanahan said Monday morning inside Levi's Stadium.
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Samuel and the 49ers experienced a tumultuous offseason in which Samuel scrubbed his social media accounts of all references to the organization. He requested a trade.
While Samuel has yet to disclose why he was dissatisfied with the organization, Shanahan made it sound Monday as if it had nothing to do with Samuel’s usage as a receiver who was often called upon last season to step into the backfield and carry the ball, too.
In fact, Shanahan said he would determine if Samuel will line up in the backfield on a game-to-game basis in 2022 and beyond. And he suggested Samuel is OK with that approach.
“You base it off what gives you the best chance to win,” Shanahan said. “And that’s why I love being around Deebo. Watch how he plays. My favorite thing about Deebo is how he inspires people.
San Francisco 49ers
“He inspires me more than almost any player I’ve watched on the field. The way he runs the ball, whether you’re handing it to him, whether you’re throwing it to him or whether he’s catching it on a kick. These aren’t things you have to talk him into doing. He usually talks you into doing. Deebo loves playing football and he loves helping us win. And that’s what everybody sees on Sunday.”
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Samuel saw considerable action at running back in the second half of the season when Elijah Mitchell was injured and the 49ers had dwindling depth at the position.
Samuel’s unique skillset enabled Shanahan to move his starting offensive playmaker around in the team’s formation.
“You can’t do that with just anybody,” Shanahan said. “You have to do that with a special player, and Deebo is a special player. That’s why he’s earned this contract that he got and that’s why I think he’s going to continue to earn it going forward.”