The Brandon Aiyuk saga is finally over, and while the end result might not be satisfying for fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers, at least it clears things up for them. For the San Francisco 49ers, though, things might not be so simple. Giving Aiyuk such a massive contract puts them in a tough spot financially. They were already pressed for cap space, and now, according to insider Michael Silver, they may be forced to part ways with receiver Deebo Samuel sooner rather than later.
Taking to Twitter after the Aiyuk deal was announced, Silver laid out how he thinks things will play out with Samuel.
“The 49ers will get overtures regarding Deebo Samuel between now and the trade deadline,” Silver wrote. “Right now, highly unlikely they’d trade him. Early November? Depends on a lot of things.”
Silver seems to be saying that the 49ers could trade Aiyuk around the trade deadline this year, which would be odd. The reason the 49ers fought so hard to keep Aiyuk is because they believe they can win a Super Bowl now. However, if the beginning of the season goes poorly for the 49ers, perhaps they could look to move on from Samuel sooner than the offseason.
It just makes more sense financially for the 49ers to move on from Samuel after this season with Aiyuk now under contract. It would save them a ton of money, and it keeps them from having to give him a new deal. He’ll be a free agent after the 2025 season and will likely want an extension before next year’s season begins.
The 49ers also drafted receiver Ricky Pearsall in the first round this year, giving them the flexibility to move on from Samuel soon. If one of their key players suffers a serious injury or they just completely fall apart, Samuel could be on the move. He wouldn’t be cheap, but it might take less to acquire him in a trade than it would have with Aiyuk.
The Steelers still aren’t in a good place with their receiving corps, and they should probably make an addition before the season starts, but if they have a solid start to the season, maybe they could explore a trade for Samuel. There are a lot of moving pieces in that scenario, so it isn’t even close to a sure thing, but it may be an option.
Either way, the Aiyuk saga is over, but the Samuel saga could only just be starting. If he doesn’t get traded before the deadline, he’ll probably get dealt during the offseason. If the Steelers don’t improve at receiver between now and then, rumors will likely run wild about them targeting Samuel next year. If this business with Aiyuk has taught anyone anything, though, it’s that nothing is a done deal until it’s actually done.
