The San Francisco 49ers finally caved and paid their best offensive player from 2021. According to reports, the 49ers signed star wide receiver Deebo Samuel to a three-year, $73.5 million extension over the weekend.
The 49ers confirmed the deal on Monday, but the franchise failed to disclose the financial terms of the agreement.
With an average annual salary of $24.5 million, Samuel has now become one of the highest-paid receivers in the game. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that the deal also comes with $58.1 million in guarantees. The number is in the same range that his fellow 2019 NFL Draft classmate DK Metcalf received from the Seattle Seahawks last week.
Samuel receiving a new deal is an end of a lengthy offseason saga that almost caused the South Carolina prospect to leave the franchise. After receiving the First-team All-Pro honors and breaking the NFL records for the most rushing touchdowns by a receiver in 2021, the 26-year-old player entered the offseason looking for a new contract that would reflect his value to the team. The 49ers were hesitant to break the bank right away, causing the player to submit a trade request in April.
While San Francisco answered a few calls from interested teams, the front office made it clear that they wanted to keep Samuel long-term. The 49ers used to following months to bridge the gap with their star player and eventually managed to hammer out a deal.
Since entering the league, Samuel made 167 catches for 2,598 yards and 10 TDs. He also has 550 rushing yards and 11 rushing scores.
