Deebo Samuel’s time as a 49er is over.
Nothing is official yet, but the fate is unavoidable.
Before March 22 — and likely before NFL free agency opens on March 12 — the Niners will cut Samuel with a post-June 1 designation.
The deal will save the Niners a few more bucks compared to a more traditional cut.
But Samuel won’t be able to save face between now and then.
Credit where it’s due: the 49ers and Samuel are trying to manage this exit with some class. That makes this saga a whole lot more palatable than the one that led up to him signing his mega-contract with the 49ers back in 2022. Still, this is an undignified end to the San Francisco career of a truly great player.
If only that “great” status applied to last year.
The Niners would have been well-served to cut Samuel on their own volition following a season where the receiver caught only 51 of 81 targets and rushed for a paltry 3.2 yards per carry, with a public complaint about not getting the ball sprinkled in for good measure.
But the way John Lynch presented the scenario Wednesday during a press conference at the NFL draft combine in Indianapolis, Samuel is the one pushing for the divorce.
“We’re on good terms with Deebo. He’s asked for a fresh start and I think we’re going to honor that,” said Lynch.
If we take Lynch at his word — a dangerous proposition, I understand — the Niners would consider keeping Samuel for one last ride. Perhaps Samuel, 29, still has another great year in him.
After all, as Lynch reiterated on Wednesday, “I don’t like seeing great players leave.”
But if Samuel is, indeed, the impetus for this move, I can’t help but see it as him — facing the first serious whiff of adversity in his career — running from the fight.
Yes, the going got tough, so Samuel decided to get going.
In recent weeks, I’ve wondered why the Niners wouldn’t just try to run it back for one more year with Samuel. If anyone deserves a mulligan of a year, it’s Deebo, right?
Well, his trade request answered that question.
And his looming cut should be considered a bit of addition by subtraction.
The best thing Samuel ever did for his legacy in the Bay was change his number before the 2024 season. As No. 19, Samuel was Superman.
As No. 1, he told us what he was all about. And now that he is no longer the No. 1 receiver for the Niners, he wants to go somewhere else.
In recent days, the 49ers have allowed Samuel and his agent, Tory Dandy, to scour the league for a trade. And there’s certainly interest around the league in signing Samuel.
Notice how I didn’t say “trading for Samuel.”
It highlights why this is such an undignified exit for the once-great Niner. He just restructured his deal with the team a few months ago. San Francisco was betting on their star to stay a star. It didn’t work out that way.
And on the other side of this release, there’s no big payday — only a reasonable, short-term deal in a new market.
Or, in other words, this isn’t a business decision — getting while the gettin’ is good. You can never begrudge a player for doing that, especially in this sport.
No, this is an emotional decision from Samuel, much like his mid-season tweet that he was “Not struggling at all just not getting the ball!!!!!!!” — a laughable assertion then and now.
In time, Samuel will only be remembered as the No. 19 vintage—a unique and electrifying force. But his 2024 campaign and this undignified exit will leave a sour taste that will be hard to chase.