NFL Insider Says 49ers’ Deebo Samuel Could Be Odd Man Out

Could San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel be on the move?

Throughout most of the offseason, fellow 49ers wide out Brandon Aiyuk grabbed most of the headlines. He is entering the final year of his deal, and his comments and social media activity prompted many to speculate that he could be traded.

There was even chatter that the Pittsburgh Steelers were making a push for Aiyuk.

But it’s looking more and more like Aiyuk may not get dealt after all.

That doesn’t mean San Francisco isn’t going to trade a receiver, though.

According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, Samuel could be the player who ends up getting moved while the Niners look to lock up Aiyuk with a contract extension.

Breer says that while the versatile Samuel is “great,” he may be seen as more of a “luxury” piece at this point, particularly with all-around running back Christian McCaffrey on the roster.

Prior to the NFL Draft last week, a report surfaced that teams were calling the 49ers to inquire about Samuel’s availability, although no progress appears to have been made.

Samuel is coming off of a 2023 campaign in which he played 15 games and caught 60 passes for 892 yards and seven touchdowns. He also rushed for 225 yards and five scores.

The 28-year-old, who played his collegiate football at the University of South Carolina, was selected by San Francisco in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft.

His best season came in 2021, when he hauled in 77 receptions for 1,405 yards and six scores while adding 365 yards and eight touchdowns as a rusher. He made the Pro Bowl and earned a First-Team All-Pro selection for his efforts.

We’ll see what the Niners decide to do with Deebo Samuel in the coming weeks and months.