The Deebo Samuel drama is over.
After a turbulent summer in which Samuel requested a trade — for reasons which were never fully explained — he and the San Francisco 49ers have found an agreement.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, it’s a three-year extension worth $71.55 million and up to $73.5 million with $58.1 million in guarantees.
Guarantees are not the same as fully guaranteed money, however. They often involve injury guarantees and other protections for the player.
But Samuel will be paid as a top-tier wide receiver. It’s little surprise a deal got done after Samuel’s agent, Tory Dandy, secured three similar deals for other young, star wide receivers in A.J. Brown (who was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles), Terry McLaurin and D.K. Metcalf.
Brown got a four-year, $100 million deal with $57.22 million in guarantees and $40 million guaranteed at signing.
McLaurin signed a three-year, $68.2 million deal with $53.15 million in guarantees and $34.65 million at signing.
Metcalf signed a three-year, $72 million deal with $58.2 million in guarantees.
And Samuel gets a three-year, $71.55 million deal (up to $73.5 million) with $58.1 million guaranteed.
With the deal signed, it’s likely that Samuel will start being involved in 49ers practices imminently. He’s been doing a “hold in” in which he’s been present at training camp, but just working on conditioning on the side while Dandy and the 49ers worked on the contract extension.
It’s a deal that ensures the 49ers’ most explosive weapon will be at Trey Lance’s disposal for the foreseeable future and leaves the team with the lingering Jimmy Garoppolo saga as the only major remaining issue to sort out this offseason.