Disgruntled San Francisco 49ers WR Deebo Samuel was running on the sidelines at the team’s mandatory mini-camp on Tuesday. But it remains to be seen if that will translate to routes in San Francisco this fall.
The talented young receiver, who continues to push for a new contract and trade, dodged expensive fines by showing up to the three-day camp. But he didn’t participate with the rest of the team — a move players seeking new deals have elected to take often the past few years (see: Jamal Adams, DK Metcalf, Joey Bosa).
Head Coach Kyle Shanahan told media Tuesday, having Samuel in the building is a good start.“Anytime you’re away from each other for a while, that’s always harder, but it’s good to get him back in here and start getting him around the guys again,” he said.
He expects Samuel will remain a 49er and that a deal will be hammered out. Samuel wasn’t available to address the question Tuesday and hasn’t spoken to media for several months. But he’s made it clear through his agent and social media he wants to rank among the NFL’s top paid weapons.
If Deebo Samuel doesn’t show up at all, it could be a significant hit to his wallet. Per the current collective bargaining agreement, players can be fined more than $95,000 for missing the 3 day camp. It breaks down like this:
With Samuel earning less than $2.1 million in 2022, that fine amount would be almost 5% of his entire salary. For the multi-threat star, that’s likely enough of a hit to lure him to camp. But even if he does show, he may follow other disgruntled stars and opt for a hold-in — by showing up but sitting out of the workouts themselves. It’s a move that worked for the Seattle Seahawks’ Jamal Adams in 2021 before he was able to land a deal making him one of the league’s highest-paid safeties. In a matter of hours, we’ll see if Samuel tries the same path.
San Francisco’s camp runs through Thursday. Other players may also sit out, including Jimmy Garroppolo, who is rehabbing an injury and viewed as someone on the trade block.
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