Deebo Samuel (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)San Francisco 49ers wide receivers Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk have both been mentioned aplenty as possible offseason trade candidates, but GM John Lynch has yet to receive an offer to his liking for either player.
Deebo Samuel has two years remaining on the three-year contract extension worth $71.55 million he signed in 2022, whereas Brandon Aiyuk is entering the fifth and final year on his rookie contract.
The 49ers used their 2024 first-round pick on Florida wideout Ricky Pearsall and signed Jauan Jennings to a one-year extension, leading to further speculation that Lynch is planning a future without one of Samuel or Aiyuk.
During his appearance on “The Rich Eisen Show”, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer brought up the possibility of Aaron Rodgers’ New York Jets offering the 49ers a first-round pick for Samuel:
“If the Jets were to offer a first-round pick for Deebo, who obviously knows Robert Saleh…that is the Jets going all in on it…
And now you have (Brandon) Aiyuk as a true No. 1. And oh, by the way, you gotta factor George Kittle into this equation. I know he’s gotten older, but he’s still a really good player…I think that there is a scenario where somebody could pry Deebo Samuel from the 9ers.”
Heatin’ up in the Bay 🔥 pic.twitter.com/WWldX2N33t
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers)
June 7, 2024
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As Breer pointed out, Deebo Samuel has familiarity with Jets head coach Robert Saleh, who was employed as the 49ers’ defensive coordinator during the star wideout’s first two NFL seasons.
Last season, Samuel caught 60 passes for 892 yards and seven touchdowns to go along with 225 rushing yards and five rushing scores. He has posted over 1,000 yards of offense in two of the last three seasons, including a career-high 1,770 in 2021.
Jets Would Be The Perfect Fit For Deebo Samuel
The Jets are all-in with Rodgers, who’s about to enter his age-41 season. They signed ex-Los Angeles Charger Mike Williams to bolster their offense and brought in veterans Tyron Smith, Morgan Moses and John Simpson to bolster the offensive line.
There’s already a strong set of playmakers at Rodgers’ disposal in Williams, Breece Hall, Garrett Wilson and Allen Lazard. But adding a do-it-all playmaker like Samuel could take this offense to a whole new level.
And again, the 28-year-old wide receiver fits the Jets’ timeline since they’re in win-now mode with the four-time MVP behind center.
Brandon Aiyuk’s Insane Contract Demands Have Been Revealed, And NFL Fans Are Laughing In His Face
Brandon Aiyuk (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk is still locked in extension talks with the NFC outfit.
The wideout isn’t looking to force a trade but has reportedly made it clear that he wants to start at a specific place.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler (H/T ProFootballTalk), Aiyuk is looking for a contract higher than the one the Detroit Lions handed Amon-Ra St. Brown this offseason.
It’s understood that Aiyuk wants to reach “that number or higher” in his new deal with the Niners, so he’s essentially looking for a deal worth around $28-30 million per year.
St. Brown signed a four-year $120 million extension with the Lions in May following an All-Pro season. Aiyuk also had a career year in 2023, registering 1,342 receiving yards and earning a second-team All-Pro nod.
However, he hasn’t made the Pro Bowl.
You can check out some of the reactions to this latest report:
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Still, some fans reckon San Francisco should pay him and move on.
“St. Brown gets a ton more targets than Aiyuk due to the Lions throwing much more than the 49ers. Aiyuk is the team’s #1 receiver so pay him and be done with it,” one wrote.
“As he should, he is much better than him,” said another. “As a devoted 49ers fan, pay him or move on at least so everyone can start preparing for the season properly. What we are doing is just hurting the team just like when it took ages to pay Bosa and it took a season for him to get going.”
Brandon Aiyuk Is Giving The 49ers A Headache
The 49ers can’t afford to let their leading wide receiver leave for nothing; offering him a satisfactory deal would be in their best interest.
On the flip side, they don’t have that much wiggle room. According to OverTheCap.com, they have less than $7 million in cap space and are already wanting for 2025.
It is quite a quandary, but they will need to solve it sooner rather than later.
