Deebo Samuel: Only People Who Know Truth About Trade Request Are Me, Agent and 49ers

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel, who has requested a trade, posted comments about his current situation via Twitter (in a since-deleted tweet) on Wednesday:

Earlier Wednesday, ESPN's Jeff Darlington reported that Samuel made him aware of his trade request:

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network provided a follow-up report:

The 26-year-old Samuel, who has played all three of his NFL seasons in San Francisco, finished last year with 1,770 scrimmage yards and 14 touchdowns.

It isn't clear why Samuel is looking to leave San Francisco. There were rumors that he didn't want to be a running back/wide receiver hybrid, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network in an appearance on the Rich Eisen Show:

"It sounds like there's multiple layers to this, Rich. But certainly one of them is Deebo Samuel wants to be a receiver and not a receiver/running back. His rushing attempts were significantly up last season from where they've been in the past. We all know that he's a really, really physical player, but there probably are some concerns here about longevity."

"The counterpoint to that, of course, is that part of the reason that Deebo Samuel is so valuable is because he's versatile. ... But in the big picture, it sounds like the role is part of the reason that Deebo wants to play someplace else, where he may just be able to be a true wide receiver and potentially tack on some years to his career."

Rapoport previously reported that the 49ers are interested in negotiating a long-term deal with Samuel and making him one of the highest-paid receivers in the NFL. However, Rapoport also said that he "simply wants to play elsewhere" and that it "sounds like he's not comfortable with his usage."

Samuel had 173 touches last year (including playoffs). He had 86 rushes, including 27 in the playoffs alone. Samuel was in essence the team's second-string running back behind Elijah Mitchell by the end of the year in addition to the team's top wide receiver.

Ultimately, we don't truly know why Samuel is looking to leave, because he hasn't revealed the reason himself on the record. For now, though, it appears the 49ers aren't willing to trade him. Per Connor Hughes of The Athletic, the 49ers have "zero intention" of parting ways with the former South Carolina star.

Samuel has one year left on his rookie deal before he's eligible to become a free agent.