The San Francisco 49ers will quickly begin their first on-field preparations for the 2022 NFL season, however Deebo Samuel is not going to be collaborating in them.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Monday that Samuel would skip the on-field portion of the Niners’ offseason program, which begins on Tuesday as he seeks a contract extension from the group.

There was no signal of a decision between the 2 events on the horizon, with Samuel just lately deleting all references to the 49ers from his Instagram web page, and the negotiation is an advanced one.

There’s speak of $25 million a yr being the magic quantity that might persuade Samuel to signal on the dotted line and commit his future to the Niners following an offseason the place the vast receiver market has exploded.

Peter King believes the Niners face a quandary if Samuel desires prime of market cash given his receiving numbers do not fairly stack as much as a few of his fellow elites on the place however his affect working the ball made him probably the most precious weapon on San Francisco’s offense final season throughout the 49ers’ surge to the NFC Championship Sport.

It’s a quandary, nonetheless, that the Niners don’t have to be any rush to unravel.

The 49ers have usually handed out profitable extensions to prime gamers, latest examples being George Kittle and Fred Warner, round coaching camp. They might expedite issues a bit with Samuel, however his resolution to overlook the offseason program is unlikely to set off any nice hurry.

Whereas the 49ers would certainly like Samuel to be on the market to additional his rapport with Trey Lance as he prepares to take over from Jimmy Garoppolo because the beginning quarterback, San Francisco won’t be too upset at Samuel getting some additional relaxation this offseason after an All-Professional 2021 marketing campaign by which he thrived regardless of battling nagging accidents and took on important additional punishment as a result of his substantial position within the working sport.

Garoppolo nonetheless being on the books at almost $27 million might up to now have been a barrier to Samuel and the Niners getting a deal achieved, however the flexibility San Francisco has in with the ability to get out of Garoppolo’s contract simply at any time permits the 49ers to be affected person in ready for that state of affairs to play out earlier than advancing negotiations with Samuel.

The Carolina Panthers have, in response to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler (h/t Niners Nation), achieved their homework on Garoppolo and, even when a commerce doesn’t materialize throughout draft weekend, the Niners can ultimately swallow their pleasure and launch him to liberate over $25 million in wage cap area, important wiggle room for San Francisco because the franchise appears to be like to increase each Samuel and Professional Bowl edge rusher Nick Bosa.

Any such transfer to chop Garoppolo is not going to come till after the draft, by which level the avenues for a possible blockbuster commerce of Samuel akin to these of Davante Adams and Tyreek Hill are more likely to be fewer.

Although the vast receiver class will not be of the identical customary of 2021, it’s one other draft that’s deep on the place and groups who might have held an curiosity in buying Samuel—the New York Jets have been beforehand reported as monitoring his state of affairs —ought to be capable to discover contributors to fill their void on the place on days one and two of the draft.

That isn’t to say groups selecting receivers within the draft precludes them from making a push for Samuel, however it’s powerful to examine a franchise spending premium capital on this draft on a wideout after which parting with excessive picks in 2023 to deal with the identical place. It’s much more tough to foresee the Niners buying and selling Samuel with out receiving the sources to instantly fill the gaping gap he would depart.

Samuel staying away from the offseason program might drive the Niners to come back to the desk with a palatable provide a bit prior to common, however all of the indicators level to them treating the Samuel negotiation in the identical approach they’ve their earlier dealings with the likes of Kittle and Warner.

The 49ers do not want Samuel on the apply discipline within the fast future. They’ll create the room to come back to phrases on a profitable deal by reducing Garoppolo at any level however have the time to attend and see if they’ll get one thing in return for his or her former beginning QB first. With a commerce of Samuel seemingly much less doubtless the longer this negotiation goes on, the 49ers can afford to be affected person as they give the impression of being to hammer out a long-term cope with their offensive lynchpin.