"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," wrote Darlington.
Moments later, NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport reported that the 49ers' usage of Samuel last season as both a wide receiver and a running back contributed to the desire to leave the team. Rapoport added that San Francisco wants to sign Samuel to a contract extension, making him one of the "higher-paid receivers in the NFL."
"[Samuel] has just been, as of now, unwilling to accept or engage in any offer or any discussion," said Rapoport. "And the reason for that, from my understanding, is he simply wants to be elsewhere."
With everyone trying to figure out how the two sides got to this point, and little coming out of Santa Clara or Samuel's camp, speculation has been running rampant.
Samuel, who has mostly been quiet regarding the situation aside from scrubbing everything 49ers-related from his Instagram account, stated on Twitter that only the 49ers, his agent, and himself know the truth.
Update: Samuel has since deleted the tweet. This is a screenshot.
If the 49ers do end up trading Samuel, it will likely be before the start of the 2022 NFL Draft, which kicks off next week. If Samuel remains on the roster after the first round, the team likely feels confident that the relationship can be mended.
The 49ers are scheduled to hold their annual pre-draft media session on Monday. Last year's session featured both general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan.
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