Deebo Samuel has proven a valuable weapon for the San Francisco 49ers offense. The former South Carolina star made 77 catches for 1,405 yards and 6 touchdowns in 2021, adding 59 carries for 365 yards and 8 scores on the ground as he was named a 1st-team All-Pro in his 3rd season in the NFL.

The former 2nd-round pick inked a 4-year rookie contract worth nearly $7.7 million after being drafted by the Niners in 2019. With that contract obviously set to expire at the end of the 2022 season, Samuel wants his team to show their financial commitment to him and lock him up to a longer term deal.

That hasn’t happened yet. And, as Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio notes, Samuel has responded by removing references to the 49ers from his Instagram account. In fact, his profile photo is all black.

While the Niners are cash-strapped at the moment, as Florio points out, there’s a way they can add to their cap, and that’s via trading or cutting quarterback Jimmy Garropolo—which could help them ink another player of high priority.

“They’d instantly pick up another $25 million…That would come in handy, given that the 49ers need to get new deals done both with Samuel and defensive end Nick Bosa,” writes Florio.

We’ll see if the 49ers can get a deal done with Samuel, or if the groundwork has been laid for a messy departure.