With Deebo Samuel appearing to want out, the 49ers are in a tough spot.
The superstar wide receiver reportedly requested a trade from San Francisco after his breakout 2021 season and the exact reasons why have yet to be confirmed.
NFL Media's Ian Rapoport reported on Wednesday that Samuel's request was not about money in regards to a possible contract extension with the team, but instead about his usage last season as both a wide receiver and running back.
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Samuel's ascension to NFL stardom last season was due -- in part -- to his usage out of the backfield in which he totaled 59 carries for 365 yards and eight touchdowns, playing a massive role in San Francisco's run throughout the end of the season and into the playoffs.
NFL Network data analyst Cynthia Frelund tweeted an interesting breakdown of Samuel's usage as a running back throughout the second half of last season, and it might just reinforce the All-Pro's reported frustrations.
The numbers show that Samuel's usage out of the backfield from the first 33 games of his career to the final 11 games of the 49ers' season jumped from 2.1 percent of snaps to 21.1 percent.
With the significant increase in carries came a reduction in snaps out wide, Samuel's primary role as San Francisco's top receiver. Throughout the first eight weeks of the season, Samuel averaged 6.1 receptions per game, compared to just 3.5 throughout the final 11 games.
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Samuel has not addressed the exact reason(s) behind his request, but if his usage last season is indeed among them and he prefers to be used more as a wide receiver, these numbers show exactly how much San Francisco relied on him on the ground and the impact it had on his receiving totals.