The San Francisco 49ers look to be keeping their top two receivers heading into the summer, but they still considered their options. Now that the dust from the 2024 NFL draft has settled, new details are coming out about the 49ers’ approach.
According to ESPN reporter Jeremy Fowler, the 49ers took calls from teams about Deebo Samuel. The most interesting detail about that is not that it happened, but when and how.
“The 49ers did discuss Deebo Samuel with teams on Day 2 of the draft, but a source said definitively two hours before the second round that San Francisco ‘isn’t moving him,’” Fowler wrote on May 7. “The intrigue deepened when San Francisco took Florida wideout Ricky Pearsall — a player most teams had pegged as a second-round pick — at No. 31.
The 49ers added their next WR in Pearsall, which only further sets up a departure for Samuel or Brandon Aiyuk. But for now, 49ers general manager John Lynch seems happy with having one of the NFL’s most stacked receiver groups as they look to make another run to the Super Bowl.
NFL Teams Estimated 49ers’ Asking Price for Aiyuk
Between Aiyuk and Samuel, Samuel feels like the more likely player to depart. His production has varied and injuries are a concern, while Aiyuk has established himself as a premier deep threat at the NFL level.
However, Fowler’s report also states that the 49ers apparently did have an “asking price” for Aiyuk
“Multiple teams told me they had interest in Brandon Aiyuk, but they believed the 49ers wanted a first-round pick for him, with one comparing the situation to that of A.J. Brown, who went from Tennessee to Philadelphia in 2022 in exchange for the 18th pick,” Fowler wrote.
While Aiyuk for a first-round pick probably feels like a fair trade to some, the issue is paying him. The former Arizona State star will likely make a contract worth close to $30 million a year based on the current WR market.
Giving up a first-round pick and shelling out the cash was probably just too much for some squads. It’s either that, or Aiyuk was never really available in the first place.
49ers Legend’s Message to Brandon Aiyuk
In a recent interview with The Mercury News reporter Cam Inman, legendary 49ers receiver John Taylor spoke on the team’s current state of affairs. While he backs up QB Brock Purdy heavily in the interview, he also addressed Aiyuk’s situation.
“Remember being at training camp and [general manager] John Lynch asked me, what did I think of Brandon Aiyuk. I said, ‘You want my honest opinion?’ He said, ‘Yeah.’ I said, ‘He’s a [expletive] of a receiver. He’s just thinking too much. He just has to go play, let his ability take over.’ I said I know that feeling. In his mind, he’s wondering, and he has to stop wondering,” Taylor said.
Of course, that was back when Aiyuk was first starting out. With the way that Aiyuk has played over the past two seasons, there’s little “wondering” to be done about his ability.
Evan Reier is a sports journalist covering the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers for Heavy.com. He previously covered sports for the Montana Standard and was a managing editor for Outsider. More about Evan Reier
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