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Deebo Samuel, the star receiver for the San Francisco 49ers, has been at a crossroads with the organization over contract talks once the team's season ended in the NFC Championship game.
Samuel played all over the field for the team in head coach Kyle Shanahan's unique yet productive offense.
Punter-turned-podcaster Pat McAfee recently spoke about a report from 49ers beat writer Cam Inman on what 49ers GM John Lynch had to say about contract negotiations with his star receiver:
"He was just everything. He was the X Factor basically, for the San Francisco 49ers and now it came time for him to want to get paid and it's kind of at a standstill, I believe. John Lynch was speaking at a Legacy series event in Walnut Creek (which I believe is in California). This is via (49ers beat writer) Cam Inman. 'I think we'll be fine there. And I'm excited to have Deebo be with us moving forward. I'd be a fool to trade him.' So, yes, he'll be a 49er says, John Lynch."
The 49ers would certainly like to keep their star player around as he accounted for 77 recptions, 1,405 receiving yards, and six receiving touchdowns last season. He also added eight rushing touchdowns with 365 yards on the ground.
Will the return of Deebo Samuel be enough to vault the 49ers into the Super Bowl?
Last season, the San Francisco 49ers were on the doorstep Super Bowl when they lost 20-17 in the NFC Championship game to the Los Angeles Rams. If Deebo Samuel elects to return to the team, will it be enough to catapult the side to the Super Bowl?
His presence alone will not be enough to get the team over the hump and back to the big game for the first time since the 2012 season. The team must also decide on its starting quarterback for 2022.
Jimmy Garoppolo is the incumbent but is coming off of shoulder surgery in March. The team drafted quarterback Trey Lance with the third overall selection in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Last week, Kyle Shanahan said the following in regards to rumors of Garoppolo being traded away for the team to begin its journey with Lance at starting quarterback:
"I expect him at sometime most likely to be traded but who knows, it's not a guarantee."
The comments weren't exactly a ringing endorsement for Garoppolo, but he failed to guarantee anything concrete. It seems as if there has been some back and forth as to whether or not the 49ers should keep Garoppolo as an insurance policy, in case things don't work out with Lance as the signal caller.
Lance said as recently as last week that his inconsistent play in 2021 was a result of an injured finger suffered last preseason that never fully healed.
Stay tuned, as the offseason continues to roll along, to find out if Jimmy Garoppolo will be traded before the 2021 season kicks off.
