In his six-year career with the San Francisco 49ers, Deebo Samuel Sr.’s 2024 season was considered to be the worst, and his weight has been considered one reason behind it. However, he disputed this via social media: “225 to be exact,” Samuel shared on X on March 3.
When Samuel requested a trade in February, the 49ers’ head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch agreed to this request. Many felt it was due to his deteriorating relationship with San Francisco’s management. However, Samuel has come forward to shut down his critics, highlighting his strong bond with his former team.
Does Deebo Samuel Sr. Have Strained Relationship With 49ers Management?
“For John and Kyle to send me to a team in the NFC that was almost a Super Bowl contender, it just shows you the type of love and relationship that we have. I know at the end of the day, they didn’t have to do that. So, it’s not a lick of bad blood when it comes to me and that organization. It’s always love,” Samuel wrote in his exclusive piece for The Players’ Tribune.
Meanwhile, rumors of the dispute sparked from Samuel requesting a trade during the 2022 offseason. At that time, he was dissatisfied with playing the role of both a wide receiver and running back.
The only difference was that, instead of trading him, the organization gave him a three-year contract extension worth $73.5 million. However, that response was nowhere to be seen in the latest chain of events. Nonetheless, Samuel cleared the air regarding any fiasco.
“Our locker room gave college vibes, you know what I mean? It wasn’t like your typical locker room. Everybody’s so close, everybody hangs out. I think about how close I got with Aiyuk when he first came in as a rookie, back when he wasn’t talking to nobody lol,” he added.
225 to be exact…. Can’t wait till this season start. Fresh start new Bo🥶 https://t.co/d7OBieGoFN
— Deebo (@19problemz) March 3, 2025
Over the years, Samuel has played a mentor role for fellow playmaker Brandon Aiyuk. They are also spotted extending their on-field camaraderie to their private lives during the offseason, sharing moments of it on social media. Hence, Samuel will certainly miss this bond. He also reflected on his relationship with his other teammates.
“I knew J.J. [Jauan Jennings] a little bit from college. And then younger guys like Ricky [Pearsall] and Jacob [Cowing] that I built relationships with, who are close as hell to me to this day. It’s not as easy as people think,” Samuel said. Not only that, he also had something special to say about Shanahan.
Samuel Raves About His Bond With Kyle Shanahan
Shanahan has trusted Samuel during tough times, and the latter mostly rose to the occasion. The 29-year-old became a main part of the 49ers’ offensive strategies because Shanahan tends to rely on players who can multitask. This also gave Samuel an edge over his competitors.
Talking about his bond with Shanahan, Samuel expressed, “Kyle knows damn near everything that I’ve been through in my life, and I damn near know everything he done been through. It’s like that. It’s a bond you could never break.”
Samuel also spoke about being traded to the Commanders. Even though it should have been a cherished moment for Samuel, he could not help but get nostalgic about his ex-team.
“It’s funny, a few days ago, when the trade happened, I was happy because this is something that I wanted. But as the day went on, my mind just kept fading off to all these damn memories, man. The memories that I got with Kyle, with John, with Brock [Purdy], with Trent [Williams], it all came rushing back,” Samuel said.
“And I’m like, Damn. I’m not even kidding when I say the whole ‘fairytale’ played back in my mind.… That’s the only way I can describe it.”
Hopefully, Samuel will be able to build a strong bond with the Commanders going forward. And perhaps he might make a second home in his new team.