SANTA CLARA — Fred Warner empathizes with Deebo Samuel having gone through his own contract extension process with the 49ers during the 2021 offseason.
The 49ers linebacker noted that each player’s situation is unique. Warner revealed there hasn’t been much discussion about the situation in the locker room during the first week of OTAs while Samuel and the club try to work things out. The All Pro wide receiver told ESPN's Jeff Darlington last week that he has requested a trade from the 49ers.
“We all care so much about Deebo, players, coaches and front office,” Warner said on Monday. “Everybody knows his value to the team. I wouldn’t say it’s much of a discussion amongst teammates. We all understand that part of the process. That player has to kind of go through it.”
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Warner shared that George Kittle was a resource during his own process as the tight end reached an agreement on an extension with the 49ers during the previous offseason. Thus far Warner has not had any contact with Samuel but is available to help if needed, as are the other veterans on the team.
Both Warner and Kittle reported to OTAs as scheduled prior to agreeing to their contract extensions. Both of their new contracts were inked closer to the start of training camp in July.
“We are here to help,” Warner said. “People who have gone through it are there to help him if he has questions or anything but he’s a grown man. He has to go through that process and we all have to respect that. That’s the business side of the game.
“It’s different for everyone. With me, the offseason was so different because of COVID. There was a patience part of it and I relied on my agent and the people upstairs to get it done and my main job was to work hard and get ready for the season.”
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Warner believes there’s no easy way to go about it the process. The All Pro linebacker was appreciative of how open Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch were during his negotiations, which is a quality he values in the organization as a whole.
“I think that’s one of the best parts about our team, our organization,” Warner said. “Kyle and John both stress it that they have an open door and want players to make sure if there is any gray area to make sure to talk to us about it. When I was going through the process it was a very open conversation.”
While Lynch attempted to limit talk about Samuel during his pre-draft availability, he did reveal that the organization has recently been in contact with their star receiver as they attempt to work through the process.