The Effect of Toxic Fans
Let’s consider the contract negotiations of Deebo Samuel for a second. When the rumors started to swirl that Deebo wanted more money offered on his contract, fans decided to send death threats. Deebo isn’t the first player to deal with this. Raheem Mostert was sent multiple death threats by so-called fans when he went down with injury last year. The discussion about Deebo leaving the team and requesting a trade didn’t occur until after the death threats surfaced. Mostert isn’t on the roster anymore and it isn’t because the Niners could not afford him. Did the death threats play a factor? There are a multitude of other factors surrounding Deebo’s personal decisions about his contract and where he will ultimately play. However, toxic fandom is playing a role in that decision as well. Who wants to play for a team whose fans are willing to send death threats over a contract dispute?
