Deebo Samuel Discusses His Future with the 49ers

Will they pay him like a wide receiver or a running back? And will he accept their offer when they make it?

Deebo Samuel will be eligible for his first contract extension this offseason.

Will the 49ers give him one? Will they pay him like a wide receiver or a running back? And will he accept their offer when they make it?

Here's what Samuel said Monday about his future with the team.

Q: What's your end of season verdict on playing "wide back" (wide receiver and running back)? If the 49ers told you that the role you had in the playoffs would be your role for the upcoming season, is that OK with you?

SAMUEL: "Yeah, I'm perfectly fine with it. Like I've stated all year long, I'm down for whatever to help this team win in any aspect it is."

Q: What are your plans for the offseason?

SAMUEL: "What's so crazy was I got in the locker room and I hadn't seen my son in a month since he was born, so I get to go home. But then they came up to me and told me the Pro Bowl is this weekend, and I totally forgot about that. After that, go spend time with my family, especially my son. You have to take time off for you body and mind, so I'll take a couple vacations before I get back to training."

Q: So that means you're going to the Pro Bowl? Are you looking forward to it?

SAMUEL: "Of course. One of the main reasons I said I was going was to take the mind off what happened yesterday (in the NFC Championship). Even though it still hurts, it will help to clear my mind."

Q: Not seeing your son for a month, did that make things even harder for you?

SAMUEL: "It was kind of tough, even though I call and talk to him every day. But I'm not physically there to hold him and hug him. It's just part of this profession. I could have seen him, but with Covid going on, I wouldn't risk him getting on a plane at that age. I just told myself to keep pushing and I'd be able to see him soon."

Q: Your teammates said you were playing through things that weren't on the injury report. Did you surprise yourself with what you're able to withstand?

SAMUEL: "I had this conversation with one of my close friends about how this year went. He asked me if I thought the year would go this way, and I said no, not really, But as time progressed, some teams get better, some teams get worse, some players get better, some players get worse as the season goes, and I just feel like us as a whole and all the players around got better, and we were able to put ourselves in a position to be where were at, and we just fell short."

Q: What did you learn about yourself this season?

SAMUEL: "It did catch me by surprise, all the things I was able to do and accomplish this year. It's just a trust thing I've built with Kyle (Shanahan) and Mike (McDaniel) and all the other guys just to get the ball in my hands so I can go out there and do what they know I can do."

Q: You've made it clear how much you enjoy being here playing for Kyle and your teammates. How much of a priority is it for you to get a contract extension done?

SAMUEL: "That is not my call. That is out of my hands."