San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan admitted the club was caught off guard when All-Pro receiver Deebo Samuel requested a trade.
"We were surprised," Shanahan said Friday, according to Cam Inman of the Mercury News. "Also, once it does happen, you know this business, so it can’t surprise you too much. But yeah, we were disappointed a little bit. But it's part of this business. You'll consider anything. You have a responsibility to help your organization the most you can.
"Losing a player like Deebo, it's hard to see how that helps your organization," Shanahan added. "You try to look into all aspects and what people are willing to do."
The Niners have received trade inquiries after the Pro Bowl receiver requested a trade amid discussions over a contract extension. The New York Jets and Detroit Lions reportedly made offers to the Niners, but each package was ultimately rejected.
Shanahan said the offers haven't been "remotely close to what we thought was fair to us or the 49ers."
The 49ers' front office declined to go into detail on what led to Samuel's trade request. Shanahan hasn't spoken with Samuel in a couple of weeks but still feels that the disgruntled pass-catcher can come to an agreement with the franchise.
"Hopefully when it's all said and done, we’ll get the best thing for the Niners, the best for Deebo and hopefully that’s the same thing, because we’d love to keep going how we’ve been," he said.
