After a saga that lasted nearly the entire NFL offseason, San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk agreed to a massive four-year contract extension on Thursday that will keep him with the organization through the 2028 campaign.
The trade rumors can stop—for Aiyuk, that is. Deebo Samuel, who will be paid $23.8 million this season and is under contract through the 2025 campaign, is next in line on the rumor roller-coaster.
NFL insider Mike Silver of the San Francisco Chronicle speculated Thursday that while the 49ers aren’t likely to trade Samuel soon, plenty of teams could be looking to acquire the star receiver by the Nov. 5 trade deadline.
The 49ers trading away one of their offensive stars in the middle of the season doesn’t seem like a smart move at first glance. Kyle Shanahan and company have journeyed to the NFC Championship Game in four of the last five seasons with no Super Bowl titles to show for it. They have plans to be in New Orleans for Super Bowl LIX in February.
But with Aiyuk now locked in for the long term, the 49ers face an uphill battle against the salary cap. They will pay eight players $15 million or more this season, and star left tackle Trent Williams is still holding out in hopes of receiving more cash before the 2024 campaign.
The biggest priority in the offseason will be quarterback Brock Purdy, who will make less than $1 million this season but will be eligible to sign a big extension next summer to pay him among the NFL’s elite. And when Purdy gets paid, there is less room for other stars in the cap—Samuel included on that list.
San Francisco is expected to be among the cream of the crop in the NFC yet again. But if things don’t go in the 49ers’ favor this year, perhaps they will part ways with the 28-year-old Samuel to save themselves from salary cap issues and yet another offseason headache.
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