As explained earlier in the day, the new contract signed by 49ers receiver Deebo Samuel includes no restrictions or limitations on how he’s used. The deal actually goes on step farther than that.
The $650,000 in annual incentives are based solely on rushing yards or touchdowns.
Per a source with knowledge of the deal, Samuel gets $650,000 for each year in which he rushes for 380 yards. If he doesn’t get to 380 rushing yards but scores three rushing touchdowns, he gets $150,000 instead. But the cap on the total incentives each year is $650,000.
In other words, if he rushes for 380 yards and scores three rushing touchdowns, he still gets $650,000, not $650,000 plus $150,000.
Samuel can earn either incentive three times in the four years of the contract, capping the total incentives at $1.95 million.
Last season, Samuel rushed for 365 yards in the regular season, with eight rushing touchdowns. However, he didn’t begin to get significant carries until Week Nine.