What does DK Metcalf’s new contract mean for Deebo Samuel?

DK Metcalf just signed a fascinating three-year contract extension with the Seahawks. How might that deal impact Deebo Samuel’s negotiations with the 49ers?

On Thursday, Seahawks receiver DK Metcalf agreed to a three-year contract extension to keep him in Seattle.

That’s three big contracts for wide receivers drafted in 2019. One more to go.

Just as the Terry McLaurin deal with the Commanders and A.J. Brown’s contract with the Eagles set the stage for Metcalf’s negotiations, the Metcalf deal is certain to play a role in what happens with Deebo Samuel and the 49ers.

What DK Metcalf’s new contract means for Deebo Samuel

David Lombardi of The Athletic laid out one of the factors to consider as Samuel and San Francisco work things out.

“DK Metcalf got a WR-record $30 million signing bonus and the 49ers can do something similar with Deebo Samuel to alleviate 2022 salary-cap impact and simultaneously satisfy Deebo’s guaranteed money demands — which are likely a sticking point,” Lombardi tweeted.

“Contract length will be very interesting, as Metcalf set himself up for free agency in his prime (Age 27) with a shorter deal. Might Deebo go for the same strategy? He’s the final domino in a wide receiver market that ran red hot this offseason.”

That signing bonus was a record for a wide receiver, just a couple million more than McLaurin got from Washington. It seems like a strong solution for the 49ers.

The contract length discussion is another interesting one. Metcalf and Samuel have the same agent. That doesn’t mean they have the same priorities when it comes to negotiating their contracts.

A longer deal brings with it more security, but potentially less money in the long term with salaries inflating at wide receiver.

A shorter deal means betting on yourself while taking on the risk of fewer guarantees in the long run.

Then there’s the Jimmy Garoppolo question. San Francisco may want to work out a deal with Samuel, but doing so while carrying the quarterback’s $25 million cap hit is tough.

As much as Metcalf’s contract sets up a similar deal for Samuel, it may all have to wait for Garoppolo.