The 49ers wideout is getting interest around the league in trade discussion.
The San Francisco 49ers have a busy offseason ahead of them as they look to improve their roster via free agency and the 2025 NFL Draft in hopes of returning to contention next season.
But, one of their biggest decisions is actually a subtraction, as the 49ers are currently mulling their options with wide receiver Deebo Samuel, who requested a trade earlier this month, as he looks to play out the final season of his three-year, $71 million contract.
Samuel, an All-Pro for the 49ers back in 2021, is coming off arguably his worst season as a pro, recording career lows in a number of categories. A departure from the 49ers felt like the most realistic possibility this offseason, as the team made moves for the future at receiver last offseason, signing Brandon Aiyuk to an extension and drafting Ricky Pearsall in the first round.
As free agency nears less than a month away, will the 49ers receive interest from other teams in a Samuel trade? It seems like that’s already starting to happen.
“I was told that several teams have expressed interest [in trading for Deebo Samuel],” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler said on Thursday. “So at least preliminary talks on a potential trade have happened between Samuel, his agent, and the team.”
There are complications with moving Samuel, however, as the wide receiver is scheduled to make $17.5 million in cash this season, with the big number being a $15.4 option bonus coming on March 22nd.
In addition, the 49ers would have to eat a $31+ million dead cap hit for trading Samuel, which begs the question of what the team could get in return for the wideout.
Currently, it doesn’t seem like the return will be much, according to several reports.
“I don’t anticipate that the 49ers will get a lot for Samuel because he is also going to have to need to be extended,” ESPN’s Jeff Darlington shared. “And it’s pretty clear that the 49ers will likely have to cut him if they don’t trade him, so they really don’t hold much leverage here.”
In a few trade proposals this week, CBS Sports projected only a Day 3 draft pick in return for Samuel, which wouldn’t be much of a return for San Francisco given the cost to trade him.
Ultimately, even with teams having interest in the wideout, it feels like the 49ers will have to weigh the value of a trade in comparison to a post-June 1st release, where San Francisco can spread Samuel’s dead cap hit over two seasons.
But, engaging in trade conversations currently allows Samuel the chance to see which teams are interested in him ahead of free agency, giving him a headstart to find his next destination should he be released.