Deebo Samuel Receives Incentives For Run Game Production

The San Francisco 49ers and Deebo Samuel finally reached agreement on a contract extension on Sunday and, for all the talk of the All-Pro wide receiver being unhappy with his versatile role in 2021, it is clear he will still be used in the backfield this coming season.

Samuel has signed a three-year extension worth up to $73.5 million including $58.1 million guaranteed, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, a saga that spanned the entirety of the offseason culminating in positive fashion for San Francisco.

The 2019 second-round pick requested a trade back in April, with that demand thought to be tied to Samuel’s wish to avoid being used regularly as a de-facto running back despite enjoying great success in a role he termed ‘wide back’ in San Francisco’s run to the NFC Championship Game.

Last season, Samuel set an NFL record for rushing touchdowns by a wide receiver in a single season, finding the endzone on the ground eight times while racking up 365 rushing yards, an average of 6.2 yards per carry. Samuel’s threat out of the backfield, combined with his prowess as a receiver—he led the league with 18.2 yards per reception in posting a career-high 1,405 receiving yards—made him one of the most dynamic weapons in football.

The 49ers voluntarily removing Samuel from the ground game equation would likely do self-inflicted damage to their hopes of success on offense in Trey Lance’s first year as starting quarterback. They quite clearly understand that and have incentivized Samuel to continue excelling on the ground.

Indeed, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Samuel’s deal contains incentives that could pay him an extra $1.95 million over the life of the contract for rushing yards and rushing touchdowns.

If Samuel did in fact hold concerns about operating out of the backfield, the signing of the extension suggests those have been alleviated.

Having added a physically imposing downhill runner in Tyrion Davis-Price in the third round of the draft, San Francisco has more options in a deep backfield to take the strain off Samuel and allow him to be used more sporadically as a tailback.

When he is utilized in that manner, Samuel will have more financial motivation to showcase the explosiveness and elusiveness that makes him such a dangerous weapon with the ball in his hands.

Samuel’s success in offering the same threat in 2022 will be pivotal to a smooth transition to the Lance era. With Jimmy Garoppolo under center last year, Samuel was the undoubted engine of the 49er offense and his ability to serve as a big-play threat when receiving the ball on traditional carries as well as designed hand-offs, reverses and screen passes provided a substantial safety net for a quarterback whose downfield upside is best described as limited.

Lance is not bound by the same restrictions but would undoubtedly benefit massively from having Samuel there to ease the pressure on his shoulders as he did for Garoppolo. With Lance’s dual-threat ability, the 49ers can also now add further complexity to their ground game on plays where both he and Samuel are in the backfield.

Samuel’s infusion into the San Francisco ground game has helped make it arguably the most diverse in the NFL.

Limiting him to playing solely as a wideout would have represented a step backwards for the Niners. Instead, the 49ers have made it clear they intend to progress with Samuel remaining an integral part of a rushing attack that will have even more avenues through which to hurt opponents in 2022 and beyond.