Just what you wanted to read about a day after Aiyuk's extension!
For the first time in, like, six months, being a 49ers fan isn't a stressful day-to-day experience. After what felt like an endless amount of pointless negotiating, the team finally got a deal with star wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk done – and before the start of the long holiday weekend, no less.
Now things in the Bay Area are great. The 49ers offense is in place, (most) contracts have been taken care of, and another season with Super Bowl expectations is barely a week away. BUT what if, instead of being content, we still tried to speak a huge 49ers trade into existence. Don't blame us, blame Mike Silver.
What a tweet. Overtures! It's highly unlikely, but that could change in the future, depending on a lot of things. That's the kind of analysis you just love to see from credentialed NFL reporters and insiders. But we'll roll with it, because sometimes thought exercises can be fun. So who could send those overtures regarding Deebo Samuel between now and the trade deadline? Let's list some teams!
These teams would almost certainly call on Deebo Samuel if he was available
1. Pittsburgh Steelers
They won't be stopped until they have a 49ers receiver, and honestly at this point they probably don't even care who it is. (This is less of a joke than you'd think.) They were the front-runners for Aiyuk – and maybe the only runners? – so it'd make sense that they'd get right back on the phone if they found out that Samuel was available. Right now their WR room is George Pickens and a bunch of lowercase g guys, so getting Samuel wouldn't even necessarily be seen as reactionary or desparate. Mike Tomlin will need all the help he can get if he wants to keep that no-losing-seasons streak alive, and it's probably safe to assume that Russell Wilson, and then inevitably Justin Fields, will too. The 49ers-Steelers romance has been this summer's hottest Will They Won't They, and everyone loves a happy ending.
2. Las Vegas Raiders
They never quite got the same attention that the Steelers did, but there was a time when the Raiders were quietly listed in trade rumors for both Aiyuk and Samuel. There's a weird, Madden-inspired world where the Raiders and Niners line up nicely as trade partners – Vegas gets a younger receiver to help build around, and the Niners get to make a run at a Super Bowl with Davante Adams playing across the bay from his hometown. Maybe they can take Gardner Minshew too! I don't know why they'd want to, but they could!
3. Washington Commanders
Another team from the Well, We Tried club. It felt like Aiyuk and Washington had pretty good momentum going there for a bit, especially with former ASU teammate Jayden Daniels now QB1 there. That connection obviously isn't there for Samuel, but he is from the East Coast, so maybe that's enough? DC is 250 miles closer to South Carolina than Pittsburgh. The Commanders are another team that desperately needs a WR2 (no offense to Olamide Zaccheaus) and a Deebo-Terry McLaurin would be about as good as any duo in football. Deebo to DC feels way less likely than Pittsburgh but way more likely than Las Vegas, but ideally none of this happens and we all have a good laugh about it in January.
