Wide receiver Deebo Samuel is under contract with the 49ers for just one more season and his deal includes an upcoming $15 million option bonus.
Those factors, along with a significant drop-off in his production last season, figure to tamp down Samuel’s trade market for the 49ers in the coming weeks.
Samuel told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Sunday that the 49ers have permitted him and his agent to find a trade partner this offseason.
Samuel, 29, started showing the signs of his turn-down-no-hits style of play since arriving on the NFL scene in 2019 as a second-round draft pick. While appearing in 15 games last season, Samuel had career-lows of 3.4 catches for 44.7 yards per game.
He signed his big-money deal with the 49ers after a 2021 season in which he carried the team’s offense with his play as a receiver and ball carrier when San Francisco did not have much else going on.
Samuel never returned to his 2021 level. And his per-rush average dropped to just 3.2 yards last season.
Still, there figures to be some league-wide interest in Samuel, who has 22 receiving touchdowns and 20 rushing touchdowns in six seasons.
Here are the teams most likely to look into landing the former All-Pro player:
Quarterback Josh Allen isn’t surrounded by many offensive playmakers, making Samuel a good fit because of his ability to help as a receiver and rusher.
Opposing defenses cannot play a steady diet of man coverage against Buffalo. If defenders are running with their backs turned, it opens huge lanes for Allen to run. He has rushed for more than 1,055 yards and 27 touchdowns over the past two seasons.
Samuel is at his best against zone coverages, and that is a good fit for what the Bills need for their offense. Slot receiver Khalil Shakir caught 76 passes for 821 yards last season. Their next-best wide receiver was Mack Hollins, who had 31 receptions for 378 yards and five touchdowns.
The 49ers might be reluctant to send Samuel to Jim Harbaugh and the Chargers. But if that’s the best deal available, that’s the move that should be made.
The Chargers will look to add to their group of wide receivers this offseason. Rookie Ladd McConkey was a fine selection in the 2024 NFL Draft, as he caught 82 passes for 1,149 yards and seven touchdowns.
Offensive coordinator Greg Roman is a master at designing the run game, and there is an opportunity to get some production from Samuel in that area, too.
The 12-5 Commanders arrived sooner than expected, led by quarterback Jayden Daniels, who won NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.
And Washington made noise in the postseason with a 45-31 dismantling of the top-seeded Detroit Lions in the second round of the playoffs.
There would be no pressure on Samuel to be a No. 1 receiver and, frankly, those days are gone. Washington has explosive Terry McLaurin, who caught 82 passes for 1,096 yards and 13 touchdowns.
The unknown is general manager Adam Peters. He was part of the 49ers’ personnel department that brought Samuel to the club in 2019. He has been with Samuel every step of the way. It’s difficult to determine at this point whether that makes the Commanders more or less inclined to pursue him.
A year ago, the Steelers wanted Brandon Aiyuk. However, they did not have a player to send back to the 49ers which would have made it OK for them to part ways with their top wide receiver.
The 49ers worked out a long-term extension with Aiyuk — for better or worse.
Samuel now is available and the 49ers appear prepared to move on for financial and performance reasons. If Samuel does not want to remain with San Francisco, there is no reason the franchise should want to keep him.
The Steelers have to figure out their quarterback situation. Regardless of the answer at that spot, they need help at wide receiver, too.
The Texans were not shy about acquiring wide receiver Stefon Diggs a year ago. However, they did not give Diggs a new contract, which means he is set to hit the open market as an unrestricted free agent.
Houston needs more help for quarterback C.J. Stroud, and coach DeMeco Ryans knows how Samuel — at his best — is a game-changing talent and a tone-setter.
The Texans will not have to pay a steep price to Samuel, and he should be ultra-motivated to help his new team and earn another contract.
Oh, yeah, and the 49ers are on the Texans’ schedule in 2025, too.
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