George Kittle Reacts to Deebo Samuel Requesting Trade From 49ers

Deebo Samuel wants the San Francisco 49ers to trade him, and tight end George Kittle thinks his longtime teammate is irreplaceable.

During an interview with USA Today on Wednesday, Kittle reacted to the 49ers granting Samuel permission to talk to teams that might be interested in acquiring him. He took the news hard.

“I don’t think you can really replace him,” Kittle said. “We’re just going to have to build our offense a little bit differently because we don’t have that available to us. But Deebo’s a hell of a football player. I’ve loved being his teammate, I’ve loved sharing the field with him, I’ve loved going to war with him. If that is what happens and he gets traded, I’ll be very sad. But at the same time, I’m always happy for guys to get opportunities and that’s all you can ask for in the NFL. Deebo’s one of my guys and I love playing with him.”

He also called Samuel “one of the most unique players” in the NFL.

Samuel is set to make $15.8 million in 2025, which is the final year of his contract. The 49ers have several high-salaried players on the roster and need to get a contract done with quarterback Brock Purdy, which likely makes him expendable.

It doesn’t help matters that the 29-year-old wide receiver had a down year by his standards. He finished the 2024 season with 51 receptions for 670 yards and three touchdowns. He added 136 yards and one touchdowns on 42 carries.

Samuel’s versatility is part of his value, we’ll see which NFL team wants to give him a new contract.