Deebo Samuel's trade request Wednesday shocked the NFL world and put the 49ers in a tough position as the 2022 NFL Draft nears.
The 49ers aren't eager to fulfill Samuel's wish. They know how important he is to their offense and Super Bowl hopes in 2022. But if Samuel refuses to rescind his demand, the 49ers might be left with no other choice but to deal him.
If that's the case, many analysts and fans already have wondered if Samuel and veteran quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo could be packaged in a trade together.
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.
Garoppolo wouldn't say no to throwing the ball to Samuel in 2022, wherever that is.
"I would do that in a heartbeat, man," Garoppolo told Fansided's Mark Carman on "Stacking The Box." "I think those things will take care of themselves. But I didn't even think about that. That's not bad."
The 30-year-old quarterback did the media rounds Thursday, making his first public comments since what he believed was an emotional goodbye after the 49ers' season ended.
When asked about Samuel's desire to leave the 49ers, Garoppolo quickly noted how much he respects the young wide receiver and believes good things are heading his way.
San Francisco 49ers
Find the latest San Francisco 49ers news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Bay Area and California.
“I don’t really like to get into other guy’s contracts, but just speaking on Deebo and who he is as a player, as a person,” Garoppolo told Adam Schein on SiriusXM Mad Dog Radio. “I mean, the dude is unreal. And one way or another, he’s going to get his money that he deserves and he earned.
"I’ve been with him since he was a rookie. The dude — he’s changed so much as a player. He’s grown as a person, just leading guys on the field. Taking these young receivers under his wing. It’s things like that that you can’t — I mean, how do you quantify that? You know, it’s tough. But it’s all those little things. And, I don’t know, whenever someone’s a good person like that, does the right thing, and I think things will work out for him, one way or another.”
Samuel had a breakout season in 2021 in which he announced himself as one of the top receivers/offensive weapons in the NFL. The South Carolina product had more receiving yards (1.405) than Tyreek Hill, more yards per catch (18.2) than Ja'Marr Chase, and more yards after catch over expectation (403) than Cooper Kupp, Davante Adams, Justin Jefferson and Hill combined. He also had more yards per rush (6.2) than Jonathan Taylor.
Garoppolo knows how much Samuel means to the 49ers and the impact he'd have on whatever team he suits up for next season.
“He steps up in the big moments,” Garoppolo told Schein. “The moment’s never too big for him. ... Any time that it was crunch time in a game, man, there was a lot of plays going to Deebo. The dude was getting the rock in his hands, and whether it was a run or a pass, just get the ball in his hands, and he’s going to do something with it.”
RELATED: 49ers' recent trade request history reason for optimism with Deebo
The 49ers entered the offseason with plans to trade Garoppolo before the new league year, but the veteran signal-caller's shoulder surgery halted all talks. With just a few teams in need of a quarterback for next season, Garoppolo returning to the 49ers is starting to become more of a realistic possibility.
But that's a situation Garoppolo is unsure he could go through again.
“I don’t know,” Garoppolo said. “We’ll see. It was a strange year. I don’t know if I wish that on anybody. But it worked out. We’re here now.”
Garoppolo knows things are on hold for now, but he's hopeful more doors will open as his rehab comes to an end.
“I don’t know, honestly,” he said. “There are a couple different scenarios that we’ve played out. I think the shoulder is going to be a big part of it. As this comes along, more and more stuff will start to happen.
The 49ers now have to try and mend fences with Samuel while simultaneously sorting out their quarterback situation.
Samuel has been one of Garoppolo's greatest defenders on the 49ers, and the two have had success together. If all else fails, a package deal certainly is a possibility. But the 49ers will exhaust all options to keep Samuel before they move to that contingency.