The San Francisco 49ers plan to run it back next season—at least with star receiver Deebo Samuel. Samuel, who will enter the 2025 NFL campaign on the final season of his three-year contract extension he signed in 2022,

General manager John Lynch on Wednesday said the team planned to release veteran defensive tackle Javon Hargrave with that designation. He did not say the same for Samuel, who is a popular trade candidate in pre-offseason speculation.

The San Francisco 49ers have some work to do on their roster this offseason to return to Super Bowl contention. That work would get significantly more difficult if 36-year-old All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams opted to hang up his pads and retire after an

General manager John Lynch did his best to silence such thoughts when meeting with reporters on Wednesday. Speaking about the team's plans this offseason Lynch made a definitive statement on Purdy with negotiations around the corner: he's their guy and he'll be around a while.

Deebo Samuel will not have to search for a new team in the offseason after all. Despite rumors of the San Francisco 49ers potentially moving the star receiver, general manager John Lynch confirmed that the 28-year-old would return to the team in 2025.

For the first time since 2020, the San Francisco 49ers will begin their offseason earlier than usual, missing the playoffs after three consecutive deep postseason runs.