Last offseason, Pittsburgh Steelers fans dealt with a ton of trade rumors—a large portion of those involved San Francisco 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk. Pittsburgh ultimately fell short in its pursuit of Aiyuk and operated the entire 2024 season with a lack of talent at the receiver position outside of George Pickens. Now, it could soon find itself embroiled in talks for another 49er, Deebo Samuel.
On Sunday, it was reported that the 49ers were exploring their options in terms of trading the receiver. As one of the most receiver-needy teams in the league, the Steelers are a potential destination. Former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky holds that opinion. On ESPN’s NFL Live on Monday, he named the Steelers as one of three potential landing spots for Samuel, alongside the Denver Broncos and Cleveland Browns.
“I would say the Pittsburgh Steelers as well,” Orlovsky said, naming his three landing spots. “We know Pittsburgh needs to and wants to add a little bit of perimeter help. There’s going to be plenty of teams that want Deebo Samuel.”
Deebo Samuel was a bonafide star in this league not too long ago. He’s made his money as a dual-threat player. Not only did Samuel have 334 receptions during his six-year career, but he also had 202 rushing attempts. Samuel’s never dominated the league as a rusher or a passer exclusively, but he’s got 5,935 scrimmage yards in six seasons and has topped 800 scrimmage yards all but once.
However, Samuel’s 2024 season was one of the least impressive. He gained 670 yards through the air and just 136 on the ground, scoring only four times. Especially frustrating was that he only averaged 3.2 yards per carry on his 42 rushing attempts.
Orlovsky isn’t the only analyst who considers the Steelers a good fit for Samuel. On Monday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter shared the same sentiment. Yet, trading for him isn’t so simple. Samuel’s currently earning over $17 million for the 2025 season, and his contract expires once the year ends.
So, Samuel is an interesting trade candidate. He’s making a lot of money for what would be a one-year rental for whichever team trades for him. San Francisco will likely have to eat some of that money to get anything valuable in return in a potential trade.
The Steelers’ interest in Deebo Samuel will ultimately depend on how much they’re willing to give up. Looking at their current roster, any talent at receiver is an upgrade. Yet, the Steelers faced the same reality last offseason and weren’t able to land Aiyuk. Whether they are interested in Samuel or not, expect to see the Steelers floated as a potential destination.
