The San Francisco 49ers had a disappointing season after making it to the Super Bowl last year. With only six wins to their name in the 2024 season, multiple roster changes are on the cards for San Francisco. In fact, the Niners kicked off their offseason changes by parting ways with special teams coordinator Brian Schneider and defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen.
49ers general manager John Lynch spoke to the media about the future of wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. Will the South Carolina native continue playing for the Super Bowl 58 finalist in 2025?
John Lynch on Deebo Samuel Sr.’s Situation
Samuel hasn’t been anywhere close to his 2021 All-Pro season. He fetched 670 receiving yards, 51 receptions, and three touchdowns this season, finishing with a career-low 44.7 receiving yards per game. He didn’t suit up for the season finale against the Arizona Cardinals due to rib and knee injuries.
There were speculations about the 49ers looking to release or trade the 28-year-old, but Lynch doesn’t want to let go of Samuel. Upon being asked by a reporter about Samuel’s situation, San Francisco’s general manager had a clear response.
“Deebo’s under contract,” he said.
“Will he be back?” the reporter enquired.
“He’s a good player, and he’s done a ton for this organization. We’re not in the business of letting good players out of here,” Lynch answered back.
John Lynch said the plan is to bring back Deebo Samuel in 2025:
“We’re not in the business of letting go good football players.” pic.twitter.com/AqZsE2OzPW
— Coach Yac 🗣 (@Coach_Yac) January 8, 2025
Samuel’s injuries have likely prevented him from being at his best. Fans saw a glimpse of his capabilities against the Miami Dolphins in Week 16, in which he caught seven passes for 96 yards and a touchdown. On those seven catches, he forced six missed tackles.
Meanwhile, the 49ers are not certain about Brandon Aiyuk’s availability at the beginning of the upcoming season. Aiyuk only played seven games this season before getting sidelined due to a knee injury.
San Francisco’s Offseason Plans
The 49ers have revealed their first step to improve their side in the offseason. They will release Javon Hargrave with a post-June 1 designation as part of salary cap restructuring. Lynch was asked about his expectations from the player following the announcement of the cost-cutting move.
“Just that. We had some salary cap challenges, and that was something that allowed for the post-1, you can early designate it. And what I told Javon is he’s a player we really like. Same reason we went out and signed him. That hasn’t changed,” he elaborated. (34:05)
“Would we be interested in having him? Of course. Is that something we can come to an agreement on, and is it something that fits in our plans? We will see. And that’s the exact conversations I’ve had with Javon,” Lynch told the reporters.
Lynch affirmed that Hargrave will be free to sign at the start of free agency. He also shared his intentions about QB Brock Purdy’s desire to get an extension done as soon as possible.
“Well listen, I think what we know about Brock is that he’s our guy. We’ve got, we have interest in Brock being around here for a long, long time. He’s done so much for our organization, he’s won big games,” he said. (26:45)
“We’ll have some time here in the coming weeks to sit together and put our whole plan together. That’s obviously a priority, that position, and we’ll give it that attention,” Lynch concluded.