John Lynch makes stance clear on $75,550,000 Deebo Samuel's 49ers future amid trade speculation

John Lynch may be letting John Hargrave walk away from the San Francisco 49ers, but he isn't going to let Deebo Samuel do the same. Rumors had been floating on social media that the 49ers might trade him during the offseason.

Deebo Samuel seems to have been declining in recent years with him having only recorded 4 TDs this year, down from 12 last year. His yardage also dropped to 806, which is the lowest since his 2020 season.

But Lynch, while speaking to the media during the season-end press conference, clearly outlined that he had no intentions of letting him go.

"Deebo's under contract," said Lynch. "He's a good player and has done a ton for this organization and we're not in the business of letting good players out of here."

The wideout will be entering his final year of contract which he signed in 2022 for $75.55 million for three years. He bears a cap hit of $15.95 million in 2025. However, most of that is tied up in prorated signing and option bonuses that have already been cashed to him.

Moving on from Deebo Samuel could cost the 49ers a hefty price due to his contract restructuring in 2024. According to Over the Cap, if the 49ers decide to cut or trade the Pro Bowler before June 1, the team will be taking on $31.55 million in dead money. If the 49ers decide to move on from Samuel with a post-June 1 cut or trade, the dead money hit lowers to $10.75 million.

With players like Jauan Jennings witnessing a surge this year, and rookie Ricky Pearsall showing promise, the Niners could look at releasing Samuel, especially after his less-than-expected production this season. But with no timeline for Brandon Aiyuk's return from his knee surgery, they might still want to hold on to Samuel in case of contingencies.

Deebo Samuel reveals he was depressed after Super Bowl loss to Chiefs

Deebo Samuel and the Niners emerged as the NFC champions, and went to the Super Bowl, only to be defeated by the Kansas City Chiefs. Speaking on the St. Brown podcast, he revealed the tough time he went through after the Super Bowl.

“Not gonna lie, losing the Super Bowl, it puts you in depression. You go months without talking to people, wanting to be seen… Losing the Super Bowl is one of the worst feelings ever. Think about it in our position.

"We just went through camp, we just went through the whole season, and we got here, we lose, and now you back to work in 3 weeks. And you’re about to do it all over again. Losing the Super Bowl is crazy. I lost in the Super Bowl twice to the same team.”

With the Niners eliminated from the postseason this time, could Deebo Samuel finally win it next season?