Deebo Samuel is blocking out the noise and is focused on improving his game entering the 2024 NFL season.
The 49ers' star wide receiver was linked to a handful of teams in offseason trade rumors leading up to the 2024 NFL Draft, and while coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch admitted they entertained calls, Samuel and fellow wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk ultimately stayed put.
In speaking to reporters on Tuesday after the 49ers' first mandatory minicamp practice, Samuel was asked if he was aware of the rumors and how it felt to hear his name brought up in trade discussions.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
"Yeah, I heard it. Had a conversation with my agent about it," Samuel said. "They were going back and forth with whoever it was. It was a thing at first, but we moved past it and we're here and here to get better."
While the 49ers continue to negotiate a contract extension with Aiyuk, many believe that if the two sides do strike a deal, San Francisco eventually will have to part ways with one of the two star wideouts in the near future.
Samuel was asked about the possibility of 2024 being his final season with the 49ers due to the team's ability to get out of the final year of his contract next offseason.
San Francisco 49ers
"At the end of the day, the contract was signed," Samuel shared. "I know what I signed up for and we're just focused on this year."
Samuel, for the second consecutive season, took a backseat to Aiyuk as the 49ers' No. 2 receiver in 2023, recording 60 receptions for 892 receiving yards and seven touchdowns through the air with 37 carries for 225 rushing yards and five touchdowns on the ground.
Although Samuel did have a combined 1,117 scrimmage yards and 12 total touchdowns in 2023, the 49ers receiver is committed to improving in his sixth NFL season. And that's all he's focused on.