The San Francisco 49ers, who have Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk as two of their finest offensive players, have been linked to trades over the offseason.
Aiyuk is prepared to be paid with a huge contract that San Francisco hasn’t yet agreed on, while Samuel is a trade candidate because of his ambitious contract and durability concerns.
The Steelers were considering a trade for Deebo Samuel
During the NFL Draft’s first round, there was a report that the Niners were prepared to deal away either receiver in order to advance. Though it didn’t work out, it seems like Samuel was on the verge of signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
For what it's worth, I'm told the Steelers had interest in trading for Deebo Samuel but were unwilling to meet the 49ers' price…
— Michael Silver (@MikeSilver) April 27, 2024
After resting at 20th overall, the Steelers selected offensive tackle Troy Fautanu in the draft. The 49ers might have acquired receivers Brian Thomas Jr. or Xavier Worthy if they had advanced to that position by trading Samuel.
Rather, San Francisco chose to stick with Samuel, selecting wide receiver Ricky Pearsall with the 31st overall pick. Pearsall, behind Samuel and Aiyuk, should be a fantastic No. 3 option. If those two are still with the squad when the season starts, that is.