Star receiver Deebo Samuel asks San Francisco 49ers to trade him

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- For the past few months, the San Francisco 49ers have repeatedly said they'd like to keep wide receiver Deebo Samuel for a long time. On Wednesday, it became clear that Samuel and the Niners don't quite see things the same way.

Samuel, who is entering the final year of his rookie contract, told ESPN's Jeff Darlington that he has asked the 49ers to trade him. Samuel declined to offer specific reasons for requesting the trade but acknowledged that he has informed the team of his desire to leave.

That comes on the heels of what has become an increasingly turbulent relationship between the two sides following Samuel's breakout 2021 season. In recent weeks, Samuel has scrubbed any mention of the 49ers from his Instagram account, unfollowed the team and removed most photos of him in the team's uniform from the platform.