With Deebo Samuel moving on, do the 49ers need another receiver this offseason?
The San Francisco 49ers will have to make at least one major decision at wide receiver this offseason, as Deebo Samuel requested a trade and will likely be traded or released over the coming months.
Samuel, 29, is entering the final season of his three-year, $71 million extension that he signed back in 2022 after an All-Pro year, and is coming off his worst year as a pro from a per-game perspective.
The 49ers dangled Samuel in trade talks last offseason all the way up until draft day, but nothing ever materialized, even after the team drafted wide receiver Ricky Pearsall in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
But, it seems that the partnership will come to an end this offseason, as Samuel will most likely be released with a post-June 1st designation due to the financials involved for a trade.
With Samuel gone, the 49ers will rely on other investments they’ve made in recent years. As mentioned above, they drafted Pearsall in the first round, and it was anticipated that he’d replace Samuel as a starter in 2025. They also paid Brandon Aiyuk in a massive four-year, $120 million deal, solidifying him as their wideout of the future. And they also gave Jauan Jennings a two-year, $15.4 million extension last offseason.
But, will they need to make another investment at the receiver position?
On paper, it doesn’t feel like San Francisco does. But, there may be underlying factors that ultimately push the 49ers to prioritize the position this offseason.
Aiyuk is recovering from a significant injury, as he tore both his ACL and MCL in October, and the timeline for his return is uncertain. And Jennings is in the final year of his extension and could look to hit the open market as a 29-year-old after next season to secure a bigger contract.
The 49ers have prioritized addressing needs a year early when it comes to the draft to better insulate themselves when players hit free agency, and that could very well be the case here at wide receiver.
Every NFL Draft over the past few seasons has been fairly stacked with receiver talent, so that could be an option for San Francisco with one of their middle-round selections if the board falls their way.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan could also prefer a veteran who can assimilate into the offense for a quicker impact role. Or perhaps both happen to fully insulate the receiver position for both 2025 and the future.
That veteran investment could be another extension for Jennings. After all, his ferocious style of play best fits with San Francisco, who can ink him to a deal that covers the entirety of his prime. But, it seems likely that the 49ers will have some form of an investment at receiver this offseason given the uncertainty they currently face at the position.