San Francisco 49ers and wide receiver Thibo Samuel NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport reported Sunday that he agreed to a three-year contract extension worth $73.5 million with $58.1 million guaranteed.
Samuel initially loomed as the next domino to fall in an offseason of a major WR uprising, reportedly wanting to leave the Bay Area because of his taxing role in the 49ers’ offense, but tensions between the sides thawed throughout the season.
Time Samuel reported At camp on Tuesday, both general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan expressed hope that a deal would be done in the short term.
Samuel’s WR-TE pairing and George Kittle Top in the league. Together, the two will pilot San Francisco’s transformation Jimmy Garoppolo to do Trey Lance The 49ers are both under contract through 2025, making the landing as smooth as possible.
A second-round pick in the 2019 draft, Samuel flashed dangerous potential early on, but was plagued by injuries throughout his first two seasons.
From 2019-2020, Samuel played in 22 games and had 90 catches for 1,193 yards and four scores. He also had 22 carries for 185 yards and three rushing touchdowns.
Samuel finally got over the injury bug and exploded in 2021 — at times carrying the entire San Francisco offense on his back as Shanahan began using him as a ball carrier in addition to his wideout duties.
In 16 games played, Samuel had 77 catches for 1,405 yards and six TDs, along with 59 carries for 365 yards and a team-leading eight rushing scores. He led the league with 18.2 yards per reception en route to his first All-Pro season.
Whether Samuel’s new contract results in a reduced role in the running game remains to be seen. Sixth round Elijah Mitchell Last year was amazing, Jeff Wilson Jr A solid cycle piece and Drey Sermon He has come into camp stronger than his freshman season, but all three will need to raise their games for Samuel’s agility out of the backfield.
However, it is now a known factor that Samuel is lining up for the 49ers in the future. No matter where on the field, it’s a big deal for San Francisco and a terrifying prospect for its opponents.
