NFL Rumors: 49ers Want 'Drama-Free Offseason' amid Deebo Samuel Trade Buzz

After winning the 2023 NFC title, the San Francisco 49ers collapsed last season, falling to last place in the NFC West with a 6-11 record.

The 49ers are hoping that this offseason is "drama-free" as they look to bounce back, per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler on NFL Live Thursday.

"The one key component here that I was told from a couple people around the league is the 49ers want a drama-free offseason," Fowler said.

"Last year was difficult. They didn't have great participation in their offseason workouts. They had players holding out for new deals."

San Francisco must find a way to manage that even though wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr., a key component of the team's successes since his arrival to the pros out of South Carolina in 2019, has requested a trade. The 49ers have since granted Samuel and his agent, Tory Dandy, to seek a trade partner, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Last year's 49ers offseason was characterized by holdouts and contract disputes. After lengthy negotiations (and a near-trade to the Pittsburgh Steelers), wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk got a four-year, $120 million extension, and offensive tackle Trent Williams signed a three-year, $82.66 million deal.

The offseason unfortunately also saw key 49ers deal with injuries, namely running back (and 2023 Associated Press Offensive Player of the Year) Christian McCaffrey, who ended up having bilateral Achilles tendinitis and playing just four regular-season games.

It was a tough offseason for the 49ers to say the least, especially after falling just short to the Kansas City Chiefs in overtime of the Super Bowl.

But this offseason brings about more challenges, especially after a tough season. Samuel, a 2021 First-Team All-Pro who had 1,770 yards from scrimmage and 14 touchdowns, wants out.

He hasn't been as much of a focal point of the offense since, and his production has also gone down as well (806 total yards and four scores in 2024). But he's still a versatile and explosive offensive player at his best and could easily merit interest around the league, especially with just one year left on his current deal.

Unlike last offseason's drawn-out contract drama, it doesn't seem like the Samuel situation will last well into training camp. Samuel wants to move on, and the 49ers are fine with him looking for interested teams.

In the interim, the 49ers still look to move forward in hopes of bouncing back from a tough season. San Francisco has the talent to do so, but GM John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan have some work cut out for them.