"He did not want to discuss specific reasons behind his request, but he has indeed let the 49ers know his desire to leave the organization," wrote Darlington.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport first reported that the trade request was made more than a week ago, but later added that the relationship soured about two weeks ago, around April 6.
Given the developments in recent days, the news isn't necessarily surprising. Samuel recently scrubbed his Instagram account of all things 49ers-related. Then, this week, it was revealed that he would skip out on the start of the team's offseason program, which wasn't unexpected.
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On Tuesday, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the 49ers would love to get a deal done with Samuel, but the wide receiver has halted the process.
"Deebo Samuel was the one that basically admitted he wanted to move on," said Schefter. "San Francisco would pay Deebo Samuel today, tomorrow, the next day."
Later on the same day, Samuel's brother commented on Facebook that the 49ers receiver would seek a trade. Unfortunately, things have escalated quickly, and it sounds like Samuel has no intention of playing for the 49ers again.
The 49ers' do-everything wide receiver had a breakout season in 2021, accounting for 1,770 total yards and 14 total touchdowns, not counting a passing touchdown that he threw. That's a level of productivity that will be difficult to replace.
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