Deebo Samuel Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The San Francisco 49ers have been mired in an offseason drama surrounding whether or not they can trade quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. Now it seems they’re going to have to focus on a potential blockbuster trade surrounding Pro Bowl receiver Deebo Samuel as their disgruntled star player has demanded one.

“I just spoke to wide receiver Deebo Samuel — and he told me that he has asked the 49ers to trade him,” wrote ESPN’s Jeff Darlington on Twitter. “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.”

Samuel and the Niners have been at a negotiation impasse for a bit now. The team’s second-round pick in 2019, Samuel is entering the final year of his rookie contract and is looking for an extension. He is not expected to report to voluntary offseason workouts this spring and he has removed anything 49ers-related from his social media for the time being.

The Pro Bowler is coming off a season in which he garnered 1,405 receiving yards, six touchdown passes, and eight rushing touchdowns, the latter of which is an NFL record for a receiver. He’s likely looking for something comparable to what Davante Adams ($28.5 million per season) and Tyreek Hill ($30 million per season) received this offseason.

Adam Schefter was quick to point out that while Samuel can request the trade, San Francisco is under no obligation to do so.

Still, it’s the latest subplot in an NFL offseason absolutely loaded with wild ones. And NFL Twitter went nuts with the news that yet another star player is trying to force their way out of town because they can’t get the deal they want. The biggest takeaway seemed to be that just about every NFL team should be kicking the tires on a potential trade for this budding superstar.

A lot of football folks want to complain about the transfer portal in college football, but this NFL offseason seems to have put those machinations to shame. We’ll see whether or not the Niners decided to trade Samuel or if they can find a way to work it out and give Trey Lance the weapon he needs to succeed.

[Jeff Darlington]

About Sean Keeley

Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Editorial Strategy Director for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.