Deebo Samuel landing spots: 49ers grant star WR permission to seek out trade

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel will be on the move this offseason. At the NFL Scouting Combine this week, 49ers general manager John Lynch confirmed that the Niners are “going to honor” Samuel’s request for a trade. 

The 49ers looked into trading Samuel prior to the 2024 NFL Draft, and Samuel and his agent Tory Dany were granted permission earlier this offseason to seek a trade team for the 2021 first-team All-Pro this winter, CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones confirmed.

“It was a hard conversation to have with Kyle [Shanahan] because of the relationship that we have,” Samuel said earlier this month, via ESPN. “But I have to do what’s best. I’m more than thankful for the Niners giving me the opportunity of a lifetime, but now I think it’s best that we find another team.”  

Head coach Kyle Shanahan utilized Samuel’s all-around talents to create one of the NFL’s most dynamic players in his first five seasons from 2019 to 2023. Samuel is the only player since the Super Bowl era (since 1966) with 4,000 yards rushing and 1,000 yards rushing in his first five seasons. He also led all wide receivers in yards after catch per reception in four consecutive seasons from 2020 to 2023, the longest streak in the last 30 seasons. As a result, Samuel leads NFL wide receivers in yards after catch (3,084) and yards after catch per reception average (9.2) since he entered the NFL as a second-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. Samuel’s 20 career rushing touchdowns are also the most in NFL history by a wide receiver.

However, Samuel’s production slipped in 2024. He totaled the second-fewest catches (51) and targets (81) of his six-year career for 670 yards receiving and three receiving touchdowns. His 136 yards rushing and one rushing touchdown were also second fewest in a season of his career ahead of only 2020 when he dealt with a foot fracture and missed nine games. Samuel also lost his streak of leading all NFL wide receivers in yards after catch per reception with an average of 8.3 last season, the second-best at his position behind Denver Broncos wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr.

Samuel also created some brief, public friction by posting in a now-deleted tweet that he was “Not struggling at all, just not getting the ball!” He also revealed he was “a little frustrated for sure.” At the time, Shanahan called it “water under the bridge.” Now entering the final season of a three-year, $71.55 million extension in 2025 with a cap hit of $15.87 million, Samuel will likely be on the move, especially after the 49ers used their 2024 first-round pick on wide receiver Ricky Pearsall. 

So where could Samuel go? Here are five teams who could be potential fits for the San Francisco Swiss Army knife. 

Potential landing spots

Pittsburgh Steelers 

The Pittsburgh Steelers were all in for San Francisco wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk last offseason before he re-signed with the 49ers on a four-year, $120 million extension just before the start of the 2024 regular season. Van Jefferson wasn’t able to provide enough veteran juice alongside youngsters in George Pickens and Calvin Austin this past season, and Samuel fits the profile of a player that offensive coordinator Arthur Smith loves to feature. Smith has long had an infatuation with Cordarrelle Patterson since their time together with the Atlanta Falcons, and Samuel is a higher end all-purpose threat than Patterson as an offensive player. He could serve as a safety blanket for whoever the Steelers move forward with as their quarterback in 2025 with both Russell Wilson and Justin Fields set to become free agents. 

New England Patriots

The New England Patriots also possessed interest in Aiyuk last offseason, and now they feel like they have their quarterback of the future in 2024 third overall pick Drake Maye, whose 66.6% completion percentage last season was the fifth-highest all-time by a rookie. The Patriots could be more aggressive in building out their skill position spots for Maye with new head coach Mike Vrabel back in the fold in New England. 

Washington Commanders

The Washington Commanders are set to see their two non-Terry McLaurin starting wide receivers — Dyami Brown and Olamide Zaccheaus — become free agents this offseason. Washington is also set to enter the 2025 offseason with the third-most effective cap space in the entire league –$68.86 million per OverTheCap.com. That gives them plenty of resources to play around with on the heels of quarterback Jayden Daniels’ 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year of campaign, a year in which Daniels set the NFL rookie records for completion percentage (69%) and rushing yards (891). 

Washington was a few pieces short of reaching the Super Bowl in Year of 1 of Daniels’ career, losing to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship game, and Samuel could give the Commanders young quarterback another Pro Bowl-caliber talent to free up No. 1 option Terry McLaurin. 

Denver Broncos

Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix joined Daniels as the only rookies in NFL history with at least 10 wins (10), 30 total touchdowns (34) and 4,000 total yards (4,207). Nix’s 29 passing touchdowns are the second-most in league history by a rookie, trailing only Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert’s 31 from the 2020 season. Now that head coach Sean Payton has his guy at the quarterback position perhaps he looks to upgrade Nix’s cast of playmakers. 

Los Angeles Chargers

Speaking of Herbert, the Chargers returned to the postseason in Year 1 under head coach Jim Harbaugh with an 11-6 record before losing 32-12 in the opening round against the Houston Texans. Los Angeles has two developing wide receivers in 2023 first-round pick Quentin Johnston and 2024 second-round pick Ladd McConkey, but they could use a veteran, Pro Bowl-caliber option to supplement the two youngsters. The Chargers also have the sixth-most effective cap space in the NFL entering the offseason with $55.2 million to play with, according to OverTheCap.com.