INDIANAPOLIS — ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Barstool Sports’ Pardon My Take that the trade market for San Francisco 49ers WR Deebo Samuel has been stronger than expected, and FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz added context on Friday afternoon. Schultz reported that the Houston Texans and Washington Commanders have been the most aggressive suitors for Samuel, while the Pittsburgh Steelers and Denver Broncos are among teams that have “checked in” on the wide receiver.
That doesn’t sound promising for Pittsburgh’s hopes of landing Samuel, who is coming off a disappointing 2024 season. Samuel had 51 receptions for 670 yards and three touchdowns in 2024, and he’s yet to reach the 1,000-yard threshold since tallying 1,405 receiving yards and being named a first-team All-Pro in 2021.
GM Omar Khan said upgrading at receiver would be a “priority” for the Steelers this offseason, but it doesn’t seem as if the team is as aggressive in pursuing Samuel via trade. It’s likely that the 49ers would need to eat some of Samuel’s salary to facilitate a deal, but trading for him would also mean that Pittsburgh would need to give up assets, likely in the form of draft capital.
Texans HC DeMeco Ryans was around Samuel when he was the 49ers’ defensive coordinator, while Commanders GM Adam Peters was in San Francisco’s front office before taking his current job ahead of 2024. That familiarity with him likely is leading those two teams to be more aggressive in their pursuit of Samuel.
Washington has been open to adding a receiver to pair with Terry McLaurin, while Stefon Diggs will be a free agent for the Texans, who also will likely be without Tank Dell for the 2025 season after he suffered a gruesome knee injury late in 2024.
For the Steelers, a wide receiver acquisition will likely come in free agency, and the team has also met with a number of receivers here at the NFL Combine, including potential first-round picks Matthew Golden and Emeka Egbuka. With Samuel coming off a down year and entering his age 29 season, the Steelers likely don’t want to part with much to acquire him, and other teams may be willing to give up more.
At this point, Deebo Samuel coming to Pittsburgh doesn’t seem very likely, and with free agency opening in two weeks, it seems more likely that an addition at the position will come through that route rather than via trade.
