49ers are expected to explore trading WR Deebo Samuel (again)

As receiver Deebo Samuel enters the last year of his contract, he might have already played his last game with the 49ers.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that the 49ers are expected to explore trading Samuel in the coming weeks.

It's not a surprise, for various reasons. First, when the 49ers were looking into trading disgruntled receiver Brandon Aiyuk prior to the 2024 draft, the 49ers at one point pivoted to potentially trading Samuel. The Steelers were a possible landing spot.

After the 2024 season ended, 49ers G.M. John Lynch addressed Lynch's future by saying, “We’re not in the business of letting good players out of here.”

Here's the question. How good is Samuel currently, relative to his production that earned his current contract?

His numbers are down significantly from his All-Pro season of 2021, when he racked up 1,405 receiving yards and 365 rushing yards. In 15 games last year, the 29-year-old Samuel mustered 670 receiving yards and 136 rushing yards. His 14 total touchdowns from 2021 plummeted in 2024 to four.

Is the drop about Deebo, or about the offense? In December, he expressed frustration about not getting the ball.

One complicating factor for any trade will be whether the new team wants to have him under contract for more than one year. Absent an extension on the way in, the new team will be less likely to pay out as much as the 49ers might want.

The biggest question becomes pegging his value, both in salary and trade, based on his expected performance in 2025. And then in finding a team that will give the 49ers what they want — and Deebo what he wants, if the goal will be to ensure that he's under contract beyond the upcoming season.