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The San Francisco 49ers are in a huge predicament. Right before the 2022 NFL Draft, the team's top receiver Deebo Samuel requested a trade. Losing Samuel would be a huge blow to the franchise, which relied heavily on his multifaceted offense this past season.
Not to mention, Samuel is in a pretty big pickle himself. The wide receiver will ultimately either sign a contract extension in San Francisco or be traded.
Fred Warner was in a similar position to his San Francisco teammate just last year. The linebacker signed a contract extension with the 49ers ahead of 2021 training camp, securing his job for another five years.
He discussed the empathy he has for Samuel during his time of uncertainty, all quotes courtesy of NBC Sports' Jennifer Lee Chan.
“It’s different for everyone. With me, the offseason was so different because of COVID. There was a patience part of it and I relied on my agent and the people upstairs to get it done and my main job was to work hard and get ready for the season.”
He emphasized that Samuel is a huge contributor to the 49ers, but the team doesn't really discuss players' futures.
“We all care so much about Deebo, players, coaches, and front office…Everybody knows his value to the team. I wouldn’t say it’s much of a discussion amongst teammates.”
All in all, Warner wants what's best for Samuel, and is open to helping him find that.
“We are here to help…People who have gone through it are there to help him if he has questions or anything but he’s a grown man. He has to go through that process and we all have to respect that. That’s the business side of the game.”
