The San Francisco 49ers will be busy this offseason. They must re-sign starting quarterback Brock Purdy to an extension and find a trade partner for veteran wide receiver Deebo Samuel.
Ahead of Super Bowl 59, the 49ers’ brass granted Samuel and his agent permission to find a trade partner, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The veteran wide receiver expressed his desire to be traded in his exit meeting.
The 29-year-old receiver is coming off a down 2024 season, where he posted 806 scrimmage yards and four total touchdowns. That type of production doesn’t bode well for a player entering the last year of his deal.
Samuel is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in 2026, so wherever the 49ers trade him, that next team will have to decide if they want to give the vet a new contract. San Francisco likely won’t get a ton in return for Samuel, who is coming off a down year and heading into a contract year.
On Thursday’s SportsCenter, ESPN’s Jeff Darlington explained this scenario and how the vet has leverage.
"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 said (h/t Scott Polacek of Bleacher Report) 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."Jeff Darlington, ESPN
Depending on the team, the 49ers might be lucky to get a high fourth-round pick in exchange for Samuel. Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp, who is also on the trade market, has a better chance of netting at least a third-round pick despite his age.
The Niners’ front office doesn’t want to cut Samuel as they won’t get much financial relief before Jun. 1 ($31 million in dead money and $15.6 million over cap), per OverTheCap.com.
But if they were to give Samuel the post-Jun. 1 designation, the Niners’ dead money would only be $10.7 million. However, San Fran’s cap savings would net them $5.1 million.
Again, the 49ers don't want to cut Samuel, but they don’t want to get lowballed in a potential trade. San Fran is in a tough spot as they try to figure out what to do in the wide receiver room.