Rumors linking the San Francisco 49ers to a trade of Brandon Aiyuk or Deebo Samuel was all the rage around the NFL earlier this spring.
Aiyuk’s status as a free agent after the 2024 season coupled with the wide receiver demanding a lucrative long-term contract had a lot to do with rumors surrounding him.
As for Samuel, his name popped up on the rumor mill ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft. Once San Francisco selected fellow wide receiver Ricky Pearsall in the first round of the draft, these rumors heated up.
Obviously, nothing has come to fruition on this end.
Aiyuk was a holdout from mandatory minicamp. Samuel was present in Santa Clara. Meanwhile, Pearsall just continues to impress.
Could this lead to Samuel actually being traded ahead of training camp? While unlikely, we’re hearing that he’ll be of interest to other teams during the summer.
“I think they get some phone calls on Deebo. And if the phone calls coming on Deebo, there’s something they really love out there, fine. If not, they wait a year and trade him after the year. I don’t think both those guys are going to be on the team long-term, and I do think that their futures with the Niners are relative to one another and really kind of center on the way the Aiyuk contract negotiation goes.
But I do think that if it were up to Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch, ideally, I think they’d like to have Aiyuk on their roster long-term. And if that means trading Deebo, then I think they’d be okay with that.”
NFL insider Albert Breer on San Francisco 49ers potentially trading Samuel
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Does a Deebo Samuel trade make sense for the San Francisco 49ers?
It’s complicated. As Breer noted, it’s highly unlikely that both Samuel and Aiyuk will be on the roster following next season. Finances play a major role in that belief.
Aiyuk will likely get $30-plus million on an extension with the 49ers this summer. San Francisco just signed Christian McCaffrey to a two-year, $38 million extension — continuing his run as the NFL’s highest-paid running back.
George Kittle, Trent Williams, Nick Bosa and Fred Warner are also among the five highest-paid players at their respective positions in the NFL. Samuel himself is earning $23.85 million annually.
- Deebo Samuel stats (2023): 60 receptions, 892 receiving yards, 225 rushing yards, 5 TD
At some point, finances will have to play a role in the 49ers’ decision-making process. With Brock Purdy likely set to become the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL next offseason, that’s magnified further.
On the other hand, San Francisco’s Super Bowl window is wide open right now. Why trade someone of Samuel’s ilk for future draft picks?
Related: San Francisco 49ers have another contract situation on their hands with NFL season approaching
Potential Deebo Samuel landing spots in a trade
We’ve heard the likes of the Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers linked to Aiyuk this offseason. Each could turn their attention to Samuel.
Any potential deal is complicated by the fact that San Francisco would likely demand a player at a need position in return for Samul.
Offensive line, EDGE pass rusher, cornerback and safety could be seen as needs for the 49ers. Would Pittsburgh be willing to part with someone like Alex Highsmith? We’re not too sure.
Other teams such as the Los Angeles Chargers, New England Patriots, Buffalo Bills and Dallas Cowboys could also be in need of an upgrade at wide receiver.
As for Samuel, he’s fully aware of trade rumors surrounding him.
“Yeah, I heard [the trade rumors]. Had a conversation with my agent about it,” Samuel said earlier in the week. “They was going back and forth with whoever it was. It was a thing at first, but we done moved past it. So we here, and we here to get better.”