Deebo Samuel Sr.'s trade request and what's next for 49ers - ESPN

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — As San Francisco 49ers receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. made the rounds at radio row in New Orleans last week, nothing he said raised as many eyebrows as what he was wearing.

Samuel bounced from interview to interview wearing a No. 11 kelly green Philadelphia Eagles jersey in honor of his close friend A.J. Brown. For 49ers fans, it was jarring to see Samuel, who has never shied away from his dislike of the Eagles, in another team's jersey.

As it turns out, it's a sight that the 49ers and their fans are likely going to have to get used to.

In his end-of-season meeting with coach Kyle Shanahan, Samuel requested that the team trade him elsewhere. And it's a request the Niners are willing to accommodate as they granted Samuel and his agent, Tory Dandy, permission to find a trade partner, Samuel told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Sunday.

«It was a hard conversation to have with Kyle because of the relationship that we have,» Samuel said. «But I have to do what's best. I'm more than thankful for the Niners giving me the opportunity of a lifetime but now I think it's best that we find another team.»

While Samuel's request isn't a total surprise, it does leave plenty of questions worth answering as the 49ers look at life beyond Deebo.

Samuel's request is a way of getting ahead of a divorce that has felt inevitable since last offseason when the 49ers drafted receiver Ricky Pearsall No. 31 overall and signed wideouts Jauan Jennings and Brandon Aiyuk to contract extensions.

The 49ers were likely always going to have to choose between Aiyuk and Samuel at some point, and now Samuel is trying to make that decision for them. Samuel, 29, has dropped off since a dominant 2021 season, carries a $15.87 million cap charge and is