Sustainable Athletic Decision Making: Deebo Samuels Request Trade from 49ers.

Deebo Samuels dives for a touchdown against the LA Rams.

By: Gary Watts III

Published: May 4, 2022

Blythewood, S.C

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Debo Samuel is looking to make a sustainable career decision, recently requesting a trade away from his current team, the San Francisco 49'ers. The young, explosive athlete from the University of South Carolina is advocating for a better opportunity, as well as, better compensation from the 49'ers as he continues to evolve within his already stellar career.

While the news may come as a surprise to fans and industry experts, there are some who believe the call made by the 3rd year wide receiver was the right choice pending his current situation.

Deebo requested a trade on April 20, 2022, after initial rumors surfaced that Samuels and the Niners were having challenges with restructuring a future contract as the end of his rookie deal was on the horizon. Information was communicated that Deebo Samuel's wanted a more lucrative deal that would be influenced by his on-the-field production that includes achieving all career highs in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns during the 2021-2022 NFL season.

Athletes are encouraged to seek the highest compensation for exceptional on-the-field production, maintaining their physical health while limiting injuries, and even for promoting a positive image off the field. During contract negotiations, these factors are highlighted by agents to ensure a sports organization recognizes how valuable an athlete can be to their operations.

Furthermore, if an athlete sees that the value of their position has increased in their respective leagues, it is only right to follow that up with a request for a pay raise based on individual and organizational accomplishments. For example, a quarterback may be seen as more valuable to a team than a running back. This will then create an environment where an NFL team will not look to compensate a running back with a salary comparable to that of a high profile quarterback.

Aside from compensation, there has been speculation that the decision was about more than the financial incentive. There are new reports that express Deebo Samuels requested the initial trade as he is not happy with the dual position the San Francisco 49ers have him taking part in.

The rising star was drafted by San Francisco in 2019 primarily as a wide receiver. Although, the 49ers organization has utilized him as a running back option as well. Samuels performed well in the position now dubbed as the "wide back", averaging 6.8 yards per attempt and 11 touchdowns over the course of his first 3 years.

While his performance was spectacular, there are new reports that believe the new dual role is not a sustainable option for Samuel's health in the long-term of his career. Taking a deeper look, the dual position may be increasing the amount of direct, physical hits that Deebo Samuels takes throughout a game.

Past research shows that the running back position actually takes the most impact hits of any position on the field. The University of Michigan conducted a study that measures the amount of "G-force" football players are subjected to during competition. To note, G-force is comparable to that of earth's gravity. For example, "One G is equal to the force of Earth gravity, so 5 G's is five times the force of gravity." (Kubota, 2016).

Furthermore, the study gave insight that the running back position receives severe impacts that are measured above 10 G's. That means the running back position takes more severe impacts than any other offensive position, although the quarterback position is up for a solid debate in that conversation. This information shows that Deebo Samuels has a strong argument for either wanting higher compensation or wanting out of San Francisco if the wide-back position stays a part of the 49er's offensive package for him.

The physicality of various sports is hard to avoid no matter what position a player competes depending on the sport segments. Although, if a sports organization is not willing to understand a player's perspective on physical and even financial sustainability based on their overall role, then that player has a right to seek other opportunities elsewhere that align with their overall vision and goals that are set forth.

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"REFERENCES"

-Kabota, T. (2016). The Science of Football: Which Positions Take the Hardest Hits? Live Science. Retrieved from https://www.livescience.com/54972-which-football-positions-take-hardest-hits.html