Deebo Samuel did not approve of the 49ers’ cost-cutting maneuver.
The star 49ers receiver voiced his displeasure with the team for releasing veteran defensive lineman Arik Armstead after he declined to take a pay cut.
Samuel shared an Instagram Story on Wednesday that featured Armstead with a “Breaking” label and captioned the post with six faceplant emojis.
The 49ers officially announced Wednesday they had released Armstead, previously their longest-tenured player, after failing to come to terms on what NBC labeled a “significant” pay cut.
Armstead, 30, had a $28.4 million cap hit for the upcoming season in the final year of a five-year, $85 million extension he signed before the 2020 season.
The release will save the team roughly $18 million since Armstead is being designated a post-June 1 cut, according to The Athletic.
While Armstead is a fine player, the 2015 first-round pick is not one of the premier defensive linemen in the sport, and the 49ers have Nick Bosa signed to a major contract.
Armstead tallied five sacks in 12 games last season.
Ironically, Samuel’s contract is one of the reasons the 49ers are in a tight spot with the salary cap.
Samuel, a do-it-all-receiver who also functions as a running back, has a cap hit of $28.6 million for the 2024 season with a dead cap hit of $42.8 million, per Spotrac.com.
Though Samuel is a strong player, that cap hit is high for a player who may be the third-best offensive skill player on his team behind running back Christian McCaffrey and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.
As the 49ers lost Armstead, they have attempted to replenish their defense in free agency.
They reportedly added pass rusher Leonard Floyd to a two-year contract, along with defensive tackles Maliek Collins and Jordan Elliott, and defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos.
Defensive end Chase Young, a midseason trade acquisition, remains a free agent.
The 49ers did miss out on signing linebacker Eric Kendricks, who instead landed with the Cowboys in a stunner, after originally agreeing to a one-year deal with the 49ers.
San Francisco hopes these moves can bolster a roster that lost Super Bowl 2024 in overtime to the Chiefs, even if one of its stars isn’t pleased at this moment.
