Deebo Samuel won’t show up at OTAs for 49ers, wants new deal

Deebo Samuel has no intentions of showing up to OTAs if he does not get a new deal from the San Francisco 49ers.

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel is not showing up to OTAs, as he wants a new deal.

Samuel, along with A.J. Brown of the Tennessee Titans and Terry McLaurin of the Washington Commanders, are not expected to take part in their teams’ OTAs this spring. All three are former day-two picks entering year four of their rookie deals. With the way wide receiver contracts are exploding league-wide, it is understandable why these players are choosing not to participate.

Samuel is coming off a career-year where he had 1,770 all-purpose yards and 14 touchdowns.

It should be noted that McLaurin will be essentially holding in, as he is deemed a team leader within the Washington franchise.

With Tennessee’s offseason program commencing Monday and San Francisco’s beginning on Tuesday, it remains to be seen if these players will receive extensions or traded to another franchise ahead of the 2022 NFL Draft happening later this month.

San Francisco 49ers WR Deebo Samuel to hold out for a new contract

As painful as it may sound to 49ers fans, Samuel is by far and away the least likely of the three to get a long-term extension from his team this offseason. All things equal, McLaurin will get his first. Not only is he a team leader, but he has been the most productive without great quarterback play. The other important note here is he was drafted in the third round, unlike Brown and Samuel.

After McLaurin gets the bag after his hold-in of sorts, Brown is the next most likely to get an extension. Tennessee already has quarterback Ryan Tannehill and running back Derrick Henry under contract. Factor in Brown playing for a defensive-minded head coach in Mike Vrabel and it would make things more likely he gets extended than not. This is not Vrabel’s side of the football.

And we have arrived at Samuel. Do not kid yourself. He is a massive regression candidate in his contract year. The 49ers have lost their former run-first offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel to the Miami Dolphins. Given that he plays for one of the best offensive minds in the game in Kyle Shanahan and how sure are we Samuel is not a product of the Shanahan Zone Blocking Scheme?

Samuel may get extended, but he is easily the most likely of the three players to be traded, too.