Deebo Samuel isn't a happy camper in San Francisco. The 49ers wide receiver has reportedly asked for a trade after a breakout year last season.
According to NFL insider Tom Pelissero, while there are “multiple layers” behind what has Deebo Samuel frustrated with the Niners, there's one in particular that sticks out. He doesn't want to be the terrifying dual threat that was last season.
Via Madison Williams of Sports Illustrated:
“It sounds like there’s multiple layers to this, but certainly one of them is Deebo Samuel wants to be a receiver and not a receiver/running back,” Pelissero said on The Rich Eisen Show. “His rushing attempts were significantly up last season from where they’ve been in the past. We all know that he’s a really, really physical player, but there probably are some concerns here about longevity. The counterpoint to that, of course, is that part of the reason that Deebo Samuel is so valuable is because he’s versatile.”
Deebo Samuel was still primarily used as a wide receiver last season. He tallied 77 catches for a total of 1,405 yards in the air. But his usage as a ground option increased significantly, with 59 attempts for 365 yards.
With the increased injury risk and longevity concerns for running backs, it makes sense as to why Deebo Samuel would want to stick to his bread and butter wideout position. But Pelissero makes a good point in that the dual threat that the 49ers star poses is what makes him such a sought-after weapon around the league.
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