The NFL’s trade deadline ended Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET, and plenty of teams across the league made some major moves. For players, coaches, executives and general managers alike, the trade-deadline period is a busy time. 

It can also be a stressful time, as unsuspecting players may unexpectedly be traded to a new team.

One guy who is staying put is San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel. But there was a period this week where he thought he might be getting traded, thanks to a phone call he received from 49ers general manager John Lynch. 

Samuel explained the situation on Bleacher Report’s Cleats and Convos podcast, and said he was briefly panicked when he saw Lynch’s number pop up on Samuel’s phone.

MORE: Ranking every move made at the NFL trade deadline

Deebo Samuel trade deadline phone call, explained

Samuel has missed some playing time this season while dealing with both a calf strain and an illness in various weeks. But trading the 49ers’ talented wideout, who has accounted for 5,601 total offensive yards and 40 touchdowns during his San Francisco career dating back to 2019, seemed unlikely. But Samuel still had some concern when an innocent phone call from Lynch came through Tuesday. 

“I look at my phone like ‘Yo, why is he calling me right now?'” Samuel said on the podcast, as transcribed by Sports Illustrated. “I answer the phone, he’s like ‘Yeah, man, my daughter’s going to be the one running the NFL commercial that you’re doing today.’ I’m like ‘Don’t be calling me.’ … I don’t think he was actually thinking about the time he was calling me. I looked down at my phone like ‘Why is this man calling me right now?'”

It seems that even players who aren’t expected to get traded get a little jittery during the NFL trade deadline.

MORE: Who won and lost the NFL trade deadline?

Who is the 49ers general manager?

The San Fransisco 49ers’ general manager is John Lynch, who is also the team’s President of football operations. He has been San Francisco’s general manager from 2017-2022. Prior to his career in the 49ers’ front office, Lynch spent eight seasons in the broadcasting booth with the NFL on Fox. 

Prior to his broadcasting career, Lynch played 15 seasons in the NFL as a safety, spending the majority of his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he won a ring during Super Bowl XXXVII. 

From 2004-2007, he was on the Denver Broncos’ defense. During his 15-year NFL career, Lynch was a nine-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro. He was inducted into the NFL’s Hall of Fame in 2021. 

Lynch has been credited with much of the 49ers recent success, including drafting starting quarterback Brock Purdy with the last pick in the 2022 NFL draft. Lynch also helped draft defensive end Nick Bosa, linebacker Fred Warner and tight end George Kittle.

49ers trade deadline moves

It wasn’t the splashiest of moves, but San Francisco did help beef up its defensive line Tuesday. The team acquired defensive tackle Khalil Davis from the Houston Texans in exchange for a seventh-round pick. 

The team also brought back safety Tashaun Gipson, which it signed to the practice squad Tuesday afternoon, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.