As Tory Dandy and the 49ers were putting a bow on Deebo Samuel’s new contract, the wide receiver was stressed out. How did he get through the difficult period?
He had a little help. Or more accurately, big help.
At the podium yesterday, Samuel said waiting for the final contract was, “Probably one of the [most] stressful weeks that I’ve ever been a part of in my life.” Trey Lance checked in with him frequently for updates, but Deebo also said Trent Williams was a huge help in keeping his mind off of the whole situation.
“As far as Trent, he’s kind of like my big brother. He just told me to stay level-headed and everything is gonna work out. There was a time where I spent like a week with Trent just chilling, just hanging around just to keep my mind off a lot of things. That kind of helped me a lot.”
Aside from his other-worldly skills, Williams’ leadership is part of the reason he is so beloved and respected throughout the locker room. Remember, this conclusion to the Deebo Samuel drama was far from guaranteed.
Samuel was angry enough to request a trade and even said yesterday he didn’t regret that decision because the NFL is a business. While he’s happy to still be in San Francisco, it sounded like Samuel also would have been fine if he needed to go elsewhere to secure a new contract. That fact that a deal was able to be struck is a credit to both the strength of the front office and great leadership from players like Trent Williams.
From talking down Deebo to flying rookie Jason Poe to training camp on a private jet, Williams has shown himself to be an incredible leader and the best left tackle in the league during his tenure with the 49ers.
Not a bad return for a 3rd and a 5th round pick, huh?
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