San Francisco 49ers great Terrell Owens knows what it is like to be traded by the team during his prime, and that is why he feels for Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk as speculation continues to hang over the star receivers.
The 49ers put together a fantastic roster for the 2023 NFL season and it is why they were able to reach the Super Bowl earlier this year. However, the process to put together this championship-level team has also been costly and they entered this offseason with little flexibility to make any major additions to try and get their first title in 30 years.
That is why one of the biggest stories for the organization this spring has been about the futures of receivers Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk. Aiyuk wants a big pay raise with one year left on his rookie deal and the massive extension the franchise gave Samuel last year blocks that possibility. Furthermore, the team will eventually have to fork over a huge raise to young quarterback Brock Purdy.
| Catches | YARDS | TD | YPC | |
| Brandon Aiyuk | 105 | 1,342 | 7 | 17.9 |
| Deebo Samuel | 60 | 892 | 892 | 14.9 |
That is why one pass catcher heading out of town is an eventuality the team must reckon with. To avoid losing Aiyuk for nothing there has been a lot of speculation that the team could move him, or give him the extension he wants and ship off his teammate instead. Terrell Owens also knows how it feels to grow as a star receiver in San Francisco but reaches a point where the team decides to choose to use their money elsewhere.
“Absolutely, I would be pissed off,” Owens said during a recent appearance on 95.7 The Game. “Look what happened to me in ‘03. They traded me without even consulting or giving me any kind of heads-up. They tried to ship me to Baltimore. Everybody knows what I did in San Francisco for eight years. They chose to make Jeff Garcia the priority when I was the one moving the chains. Those guys have the right to feel the way that they feel.”
- Terrell Owens stats (Career): 1,078 catches, 15,934 yards, 153 touchdowns, 14.8 yards per catch
The six-time Pro Bowler was eventually traded to the Philadelphia Eagles before the 2004 season and helped them reach the Super Bowl that season.
While Purdy is very talented, there has been a huge amount of speculation that he has only been at his best when he has weapons like Samuel, Aiyuk, and running back Christian McCaffrey at his disposal. This adds to the point that Owens is making about the receivers being the players that will be on the move despite what they bring to the San Francisco 49ers offense.
