Deebo Samuel made another appearance on Kay Adams’ Up&Adams show for the first time since the loss in his second Super Bowl. San Francisco is one of the teams that have low cap space and have to make important decisions regarding personnel in the coming months, and one such player is Brandon Aiyuk.
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Aiyuk is entering the fifth year of his rookie contract and will be a free agent in 2025. Normally, this is the time that the 49ers negotiate a contract extension with the players whom they see as part of their future. But with an already bloated squad and not enough cap space, it will be hard for them to cough up upwards of $20 million.
When a team loses a game of such magnitude, people look to place blame and rock the boat by shaking things up. That’s why the internet is full of speculations and rumors about the 49ers players and Aiyuk finds himself amid these swirling rumors. Even Deebo hasn’t managed to escape the speculative discussions. Adams questioned Samuel about Brandon’s contract extension and trade rumors.
Deebo stated that considering the season Aiyuk had and the progress he has shown since joining the league, he has demonstrated continuous improvement and has done enough to merit a new deal. However, drawing from his own experience, Deebo asserted that it won’t be a seamless process. Negotiating a contract takes time and now it is up to the organization and his agent to work towards a deal that reflects his contributions and how much they value because he has already done everything in his power. He said,
” Man, my dog likes the season he just came off and seasons previous, if you look at numbers from when he got to the league and now, it’s always a different type of leap. So like I told him, you put yourself in a position to be where you want to be. He’s up for a new deal and things like that, I have been through it, it’s not going to be all fine and dandy like you think it’s gonna be. You got to stay the course.”
Deebo found himself in a situation similar to Aiyuk’s when he was due for a new deal. After months of tension and negotiations, during which he even refused to play for the franchise without a new contract, recognizing the significance of his presence in the offense, they eventually reached an agreement on a three-year deal valued at up to $73.5 million, with $58.1 million guaranteed as per NFL.
Now, with just a single year left on his current deal, rumors have already surfaced about Deebo’s potential transfer if the club prioritizes Aiyuk’s contract. Aiyuk has emerged as a more potent weapon for the team, sparking speculation about the future of Deebo amid contract discussions.
Deebo Samuel Puts His Own Trade Rumors to Rest
Deebo Samuel lost another Super Bowl with the franchise. The 49ers wideout/rusher didn’t have the best of seasons in red and golden. During the 2023 season, he had only 892 receiving yards along with 225 rushing yards. In Super Bowl 58, he had a poor showing and contributed only 41 yards. Injuries didn’t help his case.
It’s not astonishing that fans are searching on the net about his possible future and people are already anticipating that the franchise will trade him especially given their financial situation. However, Deebo dismissed any such speculation. He stated that he has no idea where these rumors are coming from and no one from the organization has even hinted at such a thing.
Even with an increase in the cap space by $30 million, the franchise now has $601,918 in cap space and $3,373,082 ineffective cap room as per 49ers Cap.com. The 49ers have some important decisions to make in the coming months. Aiyuk is currently valued at $24 million and could get a 4-year contract $96 million contract. Aiyuk has emerged as the 2nd best player on that offense, after McAffrey. If they can’t get the deal over the line, trading will certainly be in the cards.
