Another blockbuster wide receiver contract has been negotiated, this time defining Deebo Samuel’s future extension with the 49ers in a positive fashion.
On Wednesday, Stefon Diggs reportedly agreed to terms on a four-year, $104 million extension with $70 million guaranteed. The deal could potentially make him a member of the Buffalo Bills for the remainder of his career. The contract would pay Diggs $124.1 million over six years -- an average of $20.23 per season, which is great news for the 49ers.
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Diggs is the latest in three mega-deals locking up talented wide receivers during the 2022 offseason. Tyreek Hill agreed to a four-year, $120 million contract ($72.2 guaranteed) with the Miami Dolphins, and Davante Adams signed a five-year, $141.25 million deal ($67.5 guaranteed) with the Las Vegas Raiders.
What makes the Diggs deal great news for the 49ers is the average per-season calculation of just over $20.2 million, which is much lower than the other two mega-deals. Hill's new contract with the Dolphins amounts to four years at $23.85 million per season while Adams' average is $22.5 million over the first three seasons.
Samuel is set to see a huge pay day after being a key piece to the 49ers success in 2021, but his resume is not yet as extensive as Hill, Diggs or Adams, who boast 12 Pro Bowl nods and five All-Pro honors combined.
The 49ers' star receiver closed out the 2021 season catching 87 of his 145 targets for 1,559 yards and seven touchdowns. Samuel's 18.2 yards per catch in the regular season led the NFL. The “wide-back” also recorded 86 carries for 502 yards and nine rushing touchdowns which led to his first Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors.
San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers know how important Samuel is to their success. While at the NFL Annual Meeting in Palm Beach, Fla., John Lynch shared that the club’s goal is to make sure the talented South Carolina product is a part of the 49ers for the foreseeable future.
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While the general manager said he would keep all of his conversations with Samuel’s agent private, Lynch did confirm that there had been ongoing communication. Samuel is entering the final year of his rookie contract and like George Kittle and Fred Warner before him, is looking for an agreement to be made prior to the beginning of training camp.
“We’ve had good communication with Tory [Dandy] who represents Deebo and Bryan Ayrault who represents Nick,” Lynch said last week. “We have a plan for each of those guys. We will keep those discussion private but like I’ve long said, those guys are going to be a part of us for a long, long time.
"They’re fantastic players. They are very much at the core of who we are and they are fabulous player, fabulous people and a big part of who we are.”
Samuel’s current contract would net him a nearly $4 million payout for the season, but raising his pay significantly might not have a negative impact on the team meeting the salary cap. The club already made adjustments to the contracts of Arik Armstead, George Kittle and Dee Ford to prepare for the future contracts of both Samuel and Nick Bosa, who are both primed for significant extensions.