"Teams don't honor contracts" - NFL analyst defends Deebo Samuel after star WR demands trade

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Minnesota Vikings v San Francisco 49ers

Deebo Samuel is the latest in a long line of NFL players to demand a trade while under contract. This is not a new practice by any means, but it still draws criticism from fans and analysts alike. The main point of contention is the idea that players should honor their contracts.

Former player and current FOX Sports analyst Emmanuel Acho decided to come to the do-it-all receiver's defense on Thursday by noting teams don't always hold up their end of the bargain.

“So for those that want to say well, Deebo needs to honor his contract we have to remember NFL teams don't honor contracts. They sign you to a seven-year deal. After three years when that guaranteed money is gone, all of a sudden you are getting cut. So NFL franchises don't honor a contract.”

This is a strong point made by Acho and serves as a reminder to fans that backlash from NFL circles should sometimes be aimed at team management and leadership.

Is Deebo Samuel taking advantage of new NFL contract trends?

San Francisco 49ers v Los Angeles Rams

As Acho points out, NFL teams are used to dumping players who are on a deal. That is because NFL contracts are not fully-guaranteed. So a player can sign a seven-year deal and be let go in year four or five for little or no cost to the team. So why can't a player ask out in the same timeframe?

Adam Schefter

@AdamSchefter

Just because Deebo Samuel has requested a trade, as @JeffDarlington reported, doesn’t meant the 49ers have to make one. But it is, at the very least, one more gigantic subplot to mix into Draft week, with other teams now figuring out ways to land one of the league’s top weapons.

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Just because Deebo Samuel has requested a trade, as @JeffDarlington reported, doesn’t meant the 49ers have to make one. But it is, at the very least, one more gigantic subplot to mix into Draft week, with other teams now figuring out ways to land one of the league’s top weapons. https://t.co/Ag8PwkciOK

The San Francisco 49ers got historic success from Samuel for just a few million dollars, thanks to his rookie deal. Now, he wants to be paid what he sees as his value, instead of simply finishing up the contract with no assurances beyond 2022. This is a common move, especially in a sport as physical as football.

Acho made a simple, yet important point about NFL teams and players such as Samuel. It's easy to criticize the players for demanding new deals, but if there's a team out there willing to pay them, then it's the owners rather than the players that are at fault.

Samuel is following the market trend and it seems likely that a team will pay him what he wants in 2022. If it transpires that he wants out of San Francisco because of something other than money, then this story is far from over.

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