Deebo Samuel Update: Followed the 49ers on Instagram Again

There has been absolutely no movement on the Deebo Samuel trade front since he made his request public a few weeks ago. The NFL Draft came and went and Samuel remained with the San Francisco 49ers. Considering the star wideout has two more years under team control, it seems likely to stay that way.

The latest update in the situation? Samuel has re-followed the 49ers on Instagram again. Massive news, really.

This may seem stupid to you. It certainly feels stupid to me. Instagram is not a reflection of real life in any form and who Samuel chooses to follow or not follow shouldn't be considered a look into his thought process. Professional athletes cleanse their social media all the time and it's usually for some kind of "fresh start" nonsense that portends absolutely nothing.

But on the other hand, this sort of thing has been shockingly indicative of how these young receivers feel about their teams. On April 7, Samuel unfollowed the team and removed all references of the Niners from his profiles. Less than two weeks later, his trade request went public. In that scenario, it turned out smoke led to fire. He isn't the only one, either. AJ Brown removed any reference to the Titans from his social media accounts a week before the NFL Draft and ended up in Philadelphia.

Two instances doesn't make for a rule but it does feel like we're getting to the point where the social media activity of younger athletes is worth noting. It is tempting to dismiss it outright because nothing real happens on the internet, yet we're moving in a direction where players are willing to make statements (both quiet and loud) by using their Twitter and Instagram.

Is that good or bad? Who knows. It's great news for content enthusiasts, though. The cycle never stops.