For San Francisco 49ers fans, Super Bowl Sunday started in an unexpected way, as several reports surfaced that wide receiver Deebo Samuel had requested a trade from the franchise, which the team is expected to grant.
Samuel, a 29-year-old receiver, had posted some of the worst numbers of his career in 2024 as his usage continued to decline, despite the 49ers not having No. 1 receiver Brandon Aiyuk for much of the season.
With the team extending Aiyuk and drafting Ricky Pearsall in the first round last offseason, many foreshadowed this moment, as there just aren’t enough touches in the receiver room for Samuel, whose production has continued to fizzle since his All-Pro campaign in 2021.